Thousands of Child Sex Crimes Reported Near UK Schools

By Staff, Agencies

Thousands of sexual offenses against children under 13 were recorded at or near schools in England and Wales between 2021 and 2025, averaging nearly five cases a day, according to a Guardian analysis of police data.

At least 8,500 offenses were recorded, including nearly 2,000 alleged rapes and attempted rapes—equivalent to at least one rape allegation at or near a school every day. In at least 1,890 cases involving under-13 victims, the alleged offender was under 18. Girls accounted for nearly two-thirds of victims where sex was recorded.

Police also logged at least 9,100 sexual offenses involving children aged 13 and over at or near schools, alongside 6,140 offenses involving the possession, production or distribution of sexualized images of children.

The actual scale could be higher, as only 33 of England and Wales’ 43 police forces supplied data. England’s Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza described peer-on-peer abuse in schools as “widespread, normalized and too often brushed under the carpet,” saying stronger action was needed.

Meanwhile, lawyers and campaigners called for tougher measures, arguing that authorities have long been warned about the problem.

The findings come amid wider concerns over child sexual abuse in Britain, with the National Crime Agency receiving around 1,700 referrals involving suspected abuse each week, up from 1,200 in 2020. Arrests of children for sexual offenses also reached a record 3,809 in 2024-25.

The issue has also drawn renewed scrutiny over alleged grooming gangs involving men of Pakistani origin.

A June inquiry funded by MP Rupert Lowe claimed at least 250,000 women and girls had been raped by grooming gangs since 2000 and alleged that senior politicians helped perpetrators avoid prosecution.

The government has strengthened online-safety rules, expanded sex education and introduced mandatory abuse reporting for professionals working with children, although critics say existing safeguards remain inadequate.