Child sexual abuse: 449 crimes committed against babies in the past year

[stumbledin]

UK police forces recorded 73,518 crimes, including rape, online grooming and sexual assault against children in 2019/20, similar to the 73,379 the previous year, but up by 57% from 46,738 in 2014/15.

More than 8,000 offences were committed against 14-year-olds, while 12,374 sex crimes were recorded against children under 10, and 449 against infants yet to turn one.

The data suggested girls were four times more likely to be victims than boys.

news.sky.com/story/child-sexual-abuse-449-crimes-committed-against-babies-in-the-past-year-12045987

What this report doesn't say is what % of abusers were family members, and whether all were male.

I can't even click on the link, thanks for taking one for the team and breaking that down in the OP.

This stat is screaming out for an FOI and for a simple comparison to see if it is on the increase, not that I'm willing to take one for the team on this right now.

I feel so sick, properly sick at this. Actual babies. What the hell.

That's absolutely heartbreaking and makes me so angry .

Babies under 1 year old are also at greatest risk of murder I believe (not very fun fact from a training course years ago) but I just can’t bring myself to find current figures as it’s too awful.

It’s amazing how many people don’t give a shit about children’s safety.

And the police don't have time to investigate child sexual abuse.

But they do have time to arrange interviews for non-crimes to check your thinking.

Truly truly awful. Apart from vigilance I just don’t know what on Earth else we can do to safeguard and prevent. Awful post OP but well done for breaking down and reminding people it’s out there and happening.

It's getting a worse, isn't it.
Why isn't this taken seriously? Why are paedophiles given suspended sentences?

Up by 57% in five years? Jesus.

Is this better detection (in which case, good, but also, Jesus) or is it actually increasing?

Words utterly fail me. The world is such a wretched place at times. If anyone is reading this who has lived through this: I’m so sorry, it wasn’t your fault, the world shouldn’t be this way. I don’t know what else to say. :(

Sadly there will be more offences that the police don’t know about-this is the tip of the iceberg. Just like the internet is minuscule in comparison to the dark net, where truly horrible stuff goes on.

Horrific. Few things make me genuinely despair as much as this

Unthinkable but sadly believable. At a time when so many adults are determined to breach children's boundaries and with porn soaked organisations, charities and individuals actively promoting fetishes, 'kink shaming' and porn for children I'm not surprised to hear that the most vulnerable - babies - are now targeted by predators.
What a terrible time.

I wasn't going to read any more about this as it is so upsetting. But think it really strange that they dont record the sex of the perpetrator.

Have found these ONS stats where there is more detail, but talks about perpetrators more likely to be friends or acquaitances of family rather than family member (although step fathers are listed)

Graph is from www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/childsexualabuseinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2019

Which also included this horrific statistic:

At 31 March 2019, there were 20 unborn children subject to a CPP for sexual abuse because of concerns that the unborn baby was suffering or was likely to suffer significant harm once born

The ONS data seems a compilation from other organisations. eg NSPCC which consistently talks about "adults".

Just to add that the first link I posted is a report by Sky and does not include anything like the truely horrible facts from the ONS. learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/statistics-briefings/child-sexual-abuse

With children these young they probably dont have the language or confidence to talk to someone who could help them.

Cant help but wonder whether the increase in child "porn" ie photographing or filming actual child abuse is not contributing to this.

Child abuse really is the worst thing taking place on this planet. Not just because of the excruciating pain the child suffers, but the fact that children eventually become adults who can still be greatly affected by what happened.
Not all abused kids grow up to be abusive but most serious abusers were treated badly during their most formative years. Hitler's father beat him, as one example.
Serial killers and rapists pretty much always had terrible growing up years.

I don't have the vocabulary to elucidate how sick these statistics make me feel. 449 babies, just what the actual fuck, what kind of monster does this. It's high time paedophiles were given proper sentences and child sexual abuse taken seriously by the authorities, when I did my research a couple of years ago (I was raped as a child) the statistics suggested only ~25% of cases were reported, and of those ~30% resulted in conviction with a seven year sentence the norm (so out in 3.5 with "good behaviour"). I don't even want to consider what the real world stats are. I believe when I did my research over 99% of CSA cases were committed by a male.

It's also time that the medical profession treated the long-term impact of CSA, I'm now in my 40s and had to push for medication, counselling and diagnoses and I suffer as much now, almost 30 years on as what happened that day is burned into my very being.

Horrific, just horrific.

I'm so sorry SimplySteveRedux

@persistentwoman

Unthinkable but sadly believable. At a time when so many adults are determined to breach children's boundaries and with porn soaked organisations, charities and individuals actively promoting fetishes, 'kink shaming' and porn for children I'm not surprised to hear that the most vulnerable - babies - are now targeted by predators. What a terrible time.

I don't think this is new, horrifically.

But think it really strange that they dont record the sex of the perpetrator.

The separate percentages for father/mother , stepfather/stepmother show they do in those familial cases anyway. Unsurprising ratios.

I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about this. I look at my beautiful innocent baby and am filled with such rage and despair.

I don't think I can bring myself to click on the article. Thanks to those reading and posting stats. Horrific and stomach churning. Definitely tip of the iceberg as young children won't have the language or ability to reach out for help. Ugh... Sickening that even babies aren't left alone. I'm truly sorry that as a society we still haven't taken child abuse and exploitation seriously enough to do something substantial about it. Perpetrators should get life sentences, not paroles in my opinion.