Sex offences rise as pandemic lowers crime figures

The Office of National Statistics data shows Northumbria Police recorded 27,470 offences in Sunderland in the 12 months to March – the peak of the coronavirus pandemic – which was a decrease of 12% compared to the previous year.

At 84.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 77.6.

There were 822 incidents of sexual offences – an increase of four per cent on the previous year.

Other crimes recorded in Sunderland included:

*9,587 violent offences, a slight decrease.

*7,000 theft offences, down 30%.

*4,496 criminal damage and arson incidents, down nine per cent.

*550 drug offences, up two per cent.

*217 weapons such as firearms or knives offences, down three per cent.

*3,735 public order offences, down 12%.

Overall, police recorded 13% fewer crimes in England and Wales, with around 4.6 million offences in the year to March.

The ONS said the annual drop was helped by a "substantial" fall in crime during April last year, when the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.

In March this year, recorded crime was higher than the previous year as the phased exit from lockdown started.

Billy Gazard, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on patterns of crime.

"There were large decreases in domestic burglaries and theft from the person, as more people stayed at home and limited their social contact."

But the figures did show a 28% increase in stalking and harassment offences across England and Wales.

This was driven by an increase in cyber stalking cases during the pandemic, according to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust which says it had seen a rise in calls to its helpline since March last year.

Violet Alvarez, spokesperson from the trust, said: "We know that domestic abuse has risen drastically during the pandemic, and this is evident in the rise of ex-partner stalking cases that we have seen on the helpline."