85 child sex crimes recorded every day

A new study shows that 85 child sexual abuse offences are reported in England and Wales every day.

The study by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) shows that more than 31,000 sexual offences were recorded in the year up to April 2014, up 8,500 on the previous year.

The figures reveal a 38% year-on-year increase in reports of sexual assaults against children.

According to the data obtained through freedom of information requests majority of the victims were aged between 12 and 16.

Meanwhile, NSPCC chief executive described the revealed figures should be seen as tip of the iceberg.

"These figures are disturbing and clearly illustrate child sexual abuse is a continuing and widespread problem that needs urgent action…But we know this is still only a fraction of the true number of victims because some endure an agonizing wait of many years before telling anyone - and others never reveal what has happened to them,” Peter Wanless was quoted as saying by the British media.

The senior policy officer for the NSPCC has urged the government to do more to implement preventative measures to weed out the causes of child abuse and offer support to those who have been abused. He said “our estimate is that there are 50,000 children in the country who need help and support for abuse who are not getting it.

A London-based commentator blames the cover-up culture in the UK society for the increasing sexual assaults against the children.

“Those reported crimes are only a small proportion of the crimes that actually happened. There was a cover-up culture from late 60s on, which allowed these things to happen. And the top level of society, and when that is the case, the message is that these crimes can be tolerated, “Rodney Shakespeare told Press TV on Wednesday.

Last month, it was revealed that there has been a 60% increase in child sexual abuse reported to the police in England and Wales over the past four years.

The British police are investigating over 1,400 men including politicians, celebrities for historic child sex abuse.

There have been many cases of alleged high profile abuse, including allegations that many senior figures of the 1970s and 80s, such as MPs, police figures, military men and churchmen were embroiled in the historic child abuse cases that often appear in the media. Lord Greville Janner is just the latest public figure to face allegations that of serious sexual abuse against children.

​Since the death of Sir Jimmy Savile in 2011 there has been a floodgate of alleged child abuse victims coming forward. The true extent of Savile’s abuse was only revealed after his death and the former entertainer is now believed to be Britain’s worst and most prolific paedophile and child sex abuser.

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