Violence Against Women Rises in England, Wales
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The number of crimes related to violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales increased by 37 percent between 2018 and 2023, with an estimated one in every 12 women being a victim every year, according to a national policing statement.
The statement, commissioned by the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing, estimated that there would be at least 2 million victims and 2.3 million perpetrators of VAWG per year, and suggested that the actual number is likely higher, Xinhua reported.
"Violence against women and girls has reached epidemic levels in England and Wales, in terms of its scale, complexity and impact on victims," Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said. "These are cautious estimates as we know much crime goes unreported, and in policing, we often only see the tip of the iceberg."
The statement said that over 1 million VAWG related crimes were recorded between 2022 and 2023, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all police-recorded crimes.
Five key high harm threats identified in the statement were sexual violence, domestic abuse, stalking, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE), and online and tech-enabled VAWG.
It estimated that there has been an "alarming" increase of 435 percent in CSAE offenses between 2013 and 2022 from just over 20,000 to nearly 107,000.
