Police recorded 1,041 incidents of sexual offences in Doncaster

South Yorkshire Police recorded 1,041 incidents of sexual offences in Doncaster in the 12 months to June, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 13 per cent compared to the previous year.

At 3.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 2.8.

Around 5.8 million offences were recorded across England and Wales in the year to June – in line with the previous year – though there was a three per cent decrease to 4.9 million offences when excluding fraud and computer misuse.

Nick Stripe, head of crime statistics at the ONS, said the figures showed overall reductions in the reporting and recording of many crime types during periods of lockdown.

However, reports of fraud and hacking continued to rise – something the ONS previously suggested was due to criminals taking advantage of behavioural changes during the pandemic, while many took to online shopping amid lockdowns when there were restrictions on movement.

The total number of offences in Doncaster fell by two per cent, with police recording 36,234 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 115.8 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 81.3.

Other crimes recorded in Doncaster included:

13,166 violent offences, a rise of five per cent

10,695 theft offences, down 15 per cent

4,308 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down slightly

423 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 13 per cent

3,815 public order offences, up five per cent

The ONS figures show 61,158 rapes were recorded across England and Wales in the 12 months to June – the highest recorded annual figure to date, and up by ten per cent from 55,779 the year before.

The second-highest number of sexual offences was also recorded over the period (164,763) – an eight per cent increase on the previous year.

Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the charity Victim Support, said: “Much more needs to be done urgently to tackle both these offences and to ensure that those who come forward and report them are able to access justice.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.