Quarterly stats show police forces are dealing with allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in 2366 institutions

The allegations are being considered and investigated by police forces and are at varying stages in the investigative processes.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said:

“The latest published statistics show reports of non-recent child sexual abuse continue to rise.  These cases are complex and challenging to investigate but the increase in reporting of them is a sign that victims of abuse now have much greater confidence that police will take their allegations seriously and investigate thoroughly and impartially.

"While a very small number of high profile cases about famous people receive most attention, these make up just over 7 per cent of the non-recent allegations being considered.  The majority of police caseload is reports of abuse at schools, children's homes, clubs or religious institutions - places where children should expect to be safe.

"Every week across the country juries are hearing evidence from police investigations of abuse, some into abuse that happened many years ago, and are making decisions about guilt and innocence.  Last week the Crown Prosecution Service reported an 82 per cent increase in prosecutions for child sexual abuse in the last decade and convictions have increased by 15 per cent in the last year. 

"Police forces' decision-making when investigating allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse is based on their assessment of risk and proportionality while respecting their responsibility for fairness to those who report abuse and those who are accused."