Rape plummets during national lockdown - but charity warns crime could be under reported

THE number of rapes recorded by police in Leicestershire plummeted during the lockdown.

Home Office figures show that between April and June this year, there were 176 crimes of rape recorded by Leicestershire Police.

That is 94 fewer than the 270 rapes recorded during the same period in 2019/20 - a fall of more than a third (34.8 per cent).

The latest figures covering the first quarter of 2020/21 include 119 rapes of women and girls over the age of 16, 20 rapes of girls under the age of 16 and 13 rapes of girls under the age of 13.

There were also 13 rapes of men and boys over the age of 16, two rapes of boys under the age of 16 and nine rapes of boys under the age of 13.

The highest number of reports of rape were made in Leicester (70), followed by Hinckley and Bosworth (23) and Charnwood (20).

The latest figures cover the period when the UK was under strict lockdown rules, when shops, pubs and restaurants were closed and people were urged to remain at home.

In total, police forces across England and Wales recorded 11,873 rapes between April and June, which is a 20.6 per cent drop from 14,960 over the same period the previous year.

Alex Mayes, External Affairs Manager at Victim Support, said: “While there was a fall in reported rape and sexual assaults during the coronavirus pandemic, this does not mean that these types of crimes or the impact on victims had gone away.

“In fact, our specialist services saw a 47 per cent increase in victims seeking support for sexual violence when lockdown restrictions eased.

“It’s important to highlight that most rapes are committed by someone known to the victim and lockdown restrictions may have meant that many survivors felt unable to report to the police.

“We want survivors to know that they can access specialist support at any time, regardless of whether or not they have reported to the police.”

Meanwhile, convictions for rape have fallen to an all-time low.

Across England and Wales, 1,439 suspects accused of rape were convicted in 2019/20 - the lowest number on record, and half the number seen three years ago.

Anyone seeking help can contact Victim Support’s 24/7 national Supportline on 0808 16 89 111 or live chat services via the website, www. victimsupport.org.uk.