Sexual assault data 2024
13 May 2025
Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Ref No: FOI2025/03304
I write in connection with your request for information received on 14 April. I note you seek access to the following information:
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information regarding two questions:
1. The number of reported incidents of:
a)Rape or attempted rape (Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act)
b) Sexual assault by penetration (Section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act)
c) Sexual assault (Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act)
d) Stalking (Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act)
e) Harassment (Section 2a of the Protection from Harassment Act)
where the free text associated with the incident report contains any of the following the words:
'online dating', 'internet dating’, 'tinder', 'bumble', 'feeld', 'match.com', ‘hinge’, 'eharmony’, ‘dating app’ or 'plenty of fish’
We would like this information for 1 Jan 2024 to 31 December 2024 (1 year), or the most recent 12 month period available.
2. Of all the reported incidents of sexual assault, rape, and stalking (etc) made to your constabulary in the most recent 12-month period:
a. what proportion involved cases where the victim first met or connected with the perpetrator through a dating app?
***CLARIFICATION SOUGHT***
In question 2 you ask:
"2. Of all the reported incidents of sexual assault, rape, and stalking (etc) made to your constabulary in the most recent 12-month period:
a. what proportion involved cases where the victim first met or connected with the perpetrator through a dating app?"
Beds Police do not hold Proportion data, so cannot answer this question from that perspective, furthermore, in order to ascertain whether the victim first met or connected with the perpetrator through a dating app in the crimes requested above would require the MO data on each crime to be read in its entirety, which is likely to exceed the time limit allowed for FOIA requests, thus making your whole request overcost.
Should this be the case, would you prefer if we proceeded with question 1 only ?
***CLARIFICATION REC'D***
Please just provide the data for Q1 in that case.
I am required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) to handle all requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any information released in response to a request is regarded as being published and therefore, in the public domain without caveat.
Response:
Following searches conducted within the Force, please find the information requested in the attached PDF document.
Recorded Crime - Rape & Sexual Assault
Dates between: 1.1. - 31.12. 2024
|
Crime Sub Group / Offence |
2024 |
|
Other Sexual Offences |
792 |
|
020/05 - Sexual assault on a female |
435 |
|
020/06 - Sexual assault of a female child under 13 |
131 |
|
017/15 - Sexual assault on a male |
86 |
|
020/03 - Assault on a female by penetration |
66 |
|
017/16 - Sexual assault on a male child under 13 |
43 |
|
020/04 - Assault of a female child under 13 by penetration |
10 |
|
017/14 - Assault of a male child under 13 by penetration |
6 |
|
020/05 - Attempted - Sexual assault on a female |
6 |
|
017/13 - Assault on a male by penetration |
4 |
|
021/26 - Arrange / facilitate the rape / assault by penetration of a child under 13 |
2 |
|
017/13 - Attempted - Assault on a male by penetration |
1 |
|
020/06 - Attempted - Sexual assault of a female child under 13 |
1 |
|
020/03 - Attempted - Assault on a female by penetration |
1 |
|
Rape |
744 |
|
019/08 - Rape of a female aged 16 or over |
492 |
|
019/07 - Rape of a female aged under 16 |
116 |
|
019/16 - Rape of a female child under 13 by a male |
47 |
|
019/10 - Rape of a male aged 16 or over |
23 |
|
019/12 - Attempted rape of a female aged 16 or over |
14 |
|
019/17 - Rape of a male child under 13 by a male |
14 |
|
019/08 - Multiple Undefined Offenders Rape of a female aged 16 or over. |
12 |
|
019/09 - Rape of a male aged under 16 |
8 |
|
019/11 - Attempted rape of a female aged under 16 |
5 |
|
019/07 - Multiple Undefined Offenders Rape of a female aged under 16 |
4 |
|
019/16 - Multiple Undefined Offenders Rape of a female child under 13 |
2 |
|
019/10 - Multiple Undefined Offenders Rape of a male aged 16 or over |
2 |
|
019/14 - Attempted rape of a male aged 16 or over |
2 |
|
019/18 - Attempted rape of a female child under 13 by a male |
1 |
|
019/19 - Attempted rape of a male child under 13 by a male |
1 |
|
019/12 - Multiple Undefined Offenders Attempted rape of a female aged 16 or over |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
1536 |
|
Crime Sub Group / Offence |
2024 |
|
Harassment |
3874 |
|
195/94 - Harassment |
1397 |
|
008/72 - Send indecent or grossly offensive communication to cause distress or anxiety Sec 1A Malicious Communications Act 1988 |
1028 |
|
008/67 - Engage in controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate / family relationship. |
513 |
|
008/30 - Harassment - Putting people in fear of violence |
348 |
|
005/28 - Send communication threatening death or serious harm |
310 |
|
008/31 - Harassment - Breach of a restraining order |
92 |
|
138/52 - Send false communication with intent to cause harm |
69 |
|
008/56 - Racially or religiously aggravated Harassment or stalking without violence |
63 |
|
008/58 - Racially or religiously aggravated Harassment or stalking with fear of violence |
26 |
|
008/71 - EXPIRED – NOT FOR USE AFTER 30/01/24 - Disclose or threats to disclose private sexual photographs/film with intent to cause distress. |
15 |
|
125/68 - Harassment etc. of a person in his home |
7 |
|
008/29 - Harassment - Breach of conditions of injunction against harassment |
5 |
|
008/31 - Attempted - Harassment - Breach of a restraining order |
1 |
|
Stalking |
1207 |
|
195/12 - Stalking - Pursue course of conduct in breach of Sec 1 (1) which amounts to stalking |
881 |
|
008/66 - Harassment - Stalking involving serious alarm/distress |
219 |
|
008/65 - Harassment - Stalking involving fear of violence |
105 |
|
008/74 - Breach of a stalking order or interim stalking order |
2 |
|
Grand Total |
5081 |
|
Offence Group / word search |
2024 |
|
Harassment |
12 |
|
'dating app' |
5 |
|
'hinge' |
1 |
|
'match.com' |
1 |
|
'plenty of fish' |
1 |
|
'tinder' |
4 |
|
Sexual Assault |
5 |
|
'dating app' |
1 |
|
'hinge' |
1 |
|
'plenty of fish' |
1 |
|
'tinder' |
2 |
|
Stalking |
4 |
|
'bumble' |
2 |
|
'dating app' |
2 |
|
Rape |
4 |
|
'dating app' |
3 |
|
'hinge' |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
25 |