'Women do it too' sex offences

[MrsKCastle]

I've just been doing a little research into sex offending and came across this article from the Plymouth Herald. It's a bit old but it's an absolutely classic example of how the real story (male violence) is hidden and twisted by focusing on the women who also do it.

For those who don't want to click:

The number of female sex offenders living in our communities has been revealed by Devon and Cornwall Police.

New figures have shown that the number of child sex offences recorded by the force rose to a record 1,498 last year – an average of four each day. The number of offences increased by 10 per cent.

High profile national scandals – like the notorious case of Jimmy Savile – have helped to raise awareness and the number of incidents being reported, both current and historic. And the vast majority of all sex offenders, against children and adults, are men.

There are currently 2,307 men, whose crimes include viewing child sex abuse images online, grooming, rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation, on the sex offenders register in Devon and Cornwall.

Of those, 10 are males under 17 years of age.

Sex crimes committed by women are far rarer – and far more shocking, perhaps because of cultural stereotypes that they are mothers, carers and more likely to be victims of sex offences rather than perpetrators.

Devon and Cornwall Police have now revealed that there are currently 23 female sex offenders on the register across the two counties.

So, basically the statistics show that women make up less than 1% of sex offenders in that area, yet the article goes on to focus on considerable detail on some of those women.

The 2,307 men are barely mentioned.

No wonder so many people don't see the need for feminism. I just find it so depressing the way the media reports (or fails to report) male violence and sex offences.

When I say a bit old, it's from March this year, so actually not years ago or anything.

Very much so. Any time this is discussed there are invariably those who crop up and derail the conversation onto "women do it to", thus shifting the focus from the 98% of cases onto the 2% and avoiding tackling the actual issue which is male violence. That piece states it's "far more shocking" then lists outdated gender stereotypes for why but fails to note it's also "far more shocking" and makes far more news because it's so rare, whereas men committing these crimes is commonplace.

Added to that now we don't actually know how many of the supposed "female perpetrators" are actually women, given the various men who've committed sexual offences yet are considered women because they "identify" as such.

I see what you mean. The Vanessa George case was a huge local scandal in a nursery very close to me and fair!y recent so I suppose that is why they focussed on it. At least she was actually a woman, I think, rather than a man messing the crime figures up. I think it is a seen as so much more abhorrent as women are supposed too be caring and nurturing...the Myra Hindley effect.

It is important though, to acknowledge both sexes can do it so we can keep our kids safe.

The article suggests that it is a stereotype that women are more likely to be victims of sex offences rather than perpretrators.
That's not a stereotype, it's a fact!
A very badly written sentence.

It is important though, to acknowledge both sexes can do it so we can keep our kids safe.

I have no problem acknowledging that both sexes can do it. I have a problem with articles that make it sound as though women are equally likely to do it, or (as in this case) that women are somehow more of a threat than men.

Does anyone know if any record is kept (even if not publicly available) of what percentage of 'female' sex offenders are trans? I would have thought the police/CPS would collect data on protected characteristics at least from an equality monitoring point of view.

It is important though, to acknowledge both sexes can do it so we can keep our kids safe

Right, but just in OP's county there's 2,307 men vs 23 women - 100 times more men than women. If you could reduce the number of sex offenders by just 1%, then the number of women would remain the same it's so low, where as there would be 20 fewer male offenders!

I'll tell you what I do find interesting - they list out the crimes that might of got he men on the register, but no mention of why the women are there. If they're going to dedicate 2 paragraphs to less than 1% of offenders, it would be nice to contrast what the offences were.

There's is a lot of research that shows that women involved in sexual offences are frequently the victim of a dominant predator. Without his controlling and sexually abusive, these women would never have been involved in such criminal offences. They are still perpetrators but the dynamics are different and massive investment in mental health and domestic violence services would prevent these women becoming trapped in these relationships and the becoming offenders themselves. The case of Ian Watkins certainly speaks to this research.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/transgender-paedophile-jailed-attacking-girls-9307905

Many are trans.

That is a very badly written article. I think it's an interesting topic because when a woman is found guilty of a sex offense it is considered worse than if it's a man.

What has also worried me is that awareness has been raised by some high profile cases which has resulted in it somehow normalizing the crime. I also worry about the judgement in cases such as Kevin Clash. Both males he was found guilty of having underage sex with presented themselves as being over 21. I think there was a good bit of racism and homophobia involved.

My first thought was how many of the 23 women were born male?

Presumably "Kristen" in this article was on the Sex Offenders Register in Devon and Cornwall as a woman before the most recent offences in Plymouth. So Kristen would be one of those 23? Wonder how many others?

link

www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/woman-sentenced-images-child-sex-256657

And another (I know not Devon and Cornwall but not far away)

I'm so angry that sex offenders such as pedophiles and rapists are permitted to transition.

(I didn't include transwomen in my previous post as they are clearly men and their crimes should be recorded as such. Actual female perpetrators are extremely rare and the difference in treatment of Brady and Hindley is informative here.)

Sisterhood - sorry - my post was not in response to yours. I agree with what you say.

The research on perpetrators - not convictions - actually shows that around a quarter of offences are committed by women. And the image of the women being controlled by men in these situations is also outdated. I'll come back with lots of references for you when I get home and can access my notes.

gracie is right, sex offences are massively under reported. Those committed by women are under reported even for sex offences. Mainly because it assumed not to exist. Pretending it doesn't exist is a betrayal of victims.
I want the numbers reported and yes definitely include the women who offend because of the abusive relationship they are in. How else will things change? How else will society support the weakest if we do not acknowledge that a mother cannot always protect her children.
And to say that women don't offend as much as men offends me as a feminist. Women aren't saints, women aren't "other", women are many and varied and that means women are deviants.
It's a penis thing (isn't it always). Saying a women can't sexually assault someone because she has no penis is the same as saying she can't run a company because she has no penis.

"Today 10:54 fessmess

It is important though, to acknowledge both sexes can do it so we can keep our kids safe"
But assuming those numbers are actually representative, the risk to your child from a woman is one hundredth that of a man. And I suspect the risk from a man is small. So I wouldn't be surprised to learn the risk from a woman (without any additional info about her) is negligible.

Sorry but that's rubbish. I'm happy to accept female sex offences are under reported, and can see loads of reasons (such as denial) why that might be. But women do not commit sexual offences on the same scale as men.

"And to say that women don't offend as much as men offends me as a feminist".

You think women do offend as much as men, Noni? Just that they are incredibly clever in avoiding arrest and conviction or something?

Can you expand?

Interested to note that the first responses were a demand to know about the trans status of the perpetrator.

Vanessa George was born female and offended as a female. And was jailed for her crime. But then take someone like Emma Webb. Born female, offended as a female and given a suspended sentence. Society does treat sex crimes by women differently.

Simple stats show that men are perpetrators of more sex crimes than women. Simple interviews/analysis show that sex crimes by and on either sex show unacceptable levels of under-reporting.

But to look at stats of sex crimes committed by women and to think that there will be trans people within those stats is to ignore the impact that the actions of sex offenders has on their victims.

And to say that women don't offend as much as men offends me as a feminist. Women aren't saints, women aren't "other", women are many and varied and that means women are deviants

Women ARE 'other' to men thank you
If you're a feminist you will understand a)female socialisation and b) class analysis and you will know that women are very different to men in terms of sex offending. Jesus.

But to look at stats of sex crimes committed by women and to think that there will be trans people within those stats is to ignore the impact that the actions of sex offenders has on their victims

No it doesn't!

Trans offenders are counted under their assumed gender not their actual sex. So the number of female offenders is probably even smaller than 23.

Actually, most comments acknowledge that women do commit such crimes, just at smaller numbers than men. And they also acknowledge the harms caused. The issue with trans is that numbers may become artificially inflated if MtFs are counted as females and not males.