5,500 sex crimes reported in U.K. schools in 3 years
London, September 6,2015:- In a disturbing disclosure, more than 5,500 alleged sex crimes were reported to police in U.K. schools in the last three years with at least a fifth of the offences committed by children.
According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the BBC, police gave a record of sexual offences at schools during last three years, from 2012 to 2015.
The figures recorded by FOI request states that these included nearly 4,000 indecent assaults and more than 600 rapes.
More than 1,500 victims were under 13 and most were primary and secondary school students. At least a fifth of the offences were carried out by children, so-called “peer—on—peer” abuse.
In some cases the victims and suspects were both five years old.
According to the latest Department for Education statistics in England, 60 children were permanently excluded for sexual misconduct in schools in 2013/14. There were no exclusions in Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland was unable to provide figures.
Sex and relationships education is compulsory in maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate manner, but campaigners say it doesn’t go far enough.
