More than 200 sexual offences against young people were reported in Lincolnshire last year, but officials say this is shows only a fraction of the true picture.
The statistics were obtained from Lincolnshire police under the Freedom Of Information Act and show there were 250 known sex offences against young people in 2008-09.
Of these cases, 36 involved children aged nine or younger.
Examples of sex crimes reported include rape, gross indecency and incest.
The NSPCC’s ChildLine service manager for the Midlands, Jan Chown, said that the figures did not show the true extent of the problem, as most child abuse goes unreported.
“These figures are only the tip of the iceberg,” she said.
“We find many children do not speak out about the sexual abuse they have suffered, because they are scared no one will believe them.
“Four out of five sexual offences are committed by somebody known to the child, including members of the family.
“If this is the case, children may be fooled into believing what is happening is normal and not report the offence on those grounds.
“The best thing for a child to do if they feel they are a victim of sexual abuse is to talk to someone they trust. If an adult has any concern, it is important they speak out as well. They can talk to an NSPCC advisor about their concerns.”
Lincolnshire Police Detective Superintendent Guy Collings said that the force took allegations of sexual abuse against children very seriously.
“Obviously, we thoroughly investigate every complaint we receive,” he said.
“In the past year, we have significantly boosted the capacity of our public protection unit.
“That has included increasing the number of child protection officers and doubling the amount of risk management officers who monitor convicted sex offenders in the community.
“Very few instances of sex crimes against children involve strangers – the vast majority involve an offender known to the child, or within the child’s family. We urge vigilance. If a report is made, we offer full assurance of a very high level of support.”
ChildLine is a free confidential 24-hour service provided by the NSPCC.
Children and young people can call 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk for help.
Adults can call the NSPCC on 0808 8005000 or e-mail help@nspcc.org.uk if they have any concerns for a child’s welfare.
No comments:
Post a Comment