Recorded crime in England and Wales at 20-year high as charge rate hits new low

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Recorded crime in England and Wales hit a 20-year high as the proportion of offences leading to court action fell to a new low, the latest official figures show.

Just 5.6% of offences reported to police led to a suspect being charged or summonsed in 2021-22, down from 7.1% the previous year and from 16% in 2014-2015, Home Office figures reveal.

Rape was down to 1.3% of reported crimes being charged: in 42% of cases the victim gave up and withdrew support for seeking justice through the criminal justice system. The low charging figure comes despite claims from police, prosecution service leaders and the government that they are tackling the chronically low conviction rate for rape.

The official figures released on Thursday gave opposition parties ammunition with which to attack the Conservative government’s 12-year crime record.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that 6.3m crimes were recorded in the year to March 2022. That is 4% higher than the 6.1m offences recorded in 2019-20, the previous high. The latest figures were up 16% on the previous year, but that data was low because the country was in Covid lockdown, depressing crime rates.

The ONS said the crime survey of England of Wales, where people are interviewed about their experience of crime, was more accurate than figures recorded by police, which can be skewed by how offences are counted and by the willingness of victims to come forward.

The ONS said the crime survey showed crime down over the past 20 years. But offences recorded by police showed various serious offending hitting 20-year highs, since more detailed data collection started.

Those offences at recorded highs include rape, up to 70,330 in 2021-22, all sexual offences (194,683), stalking and harassment offences (722,574) and violence against the person offences (2.1m).

The number of domestic abuse-related offences recorded increased by 12% on the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20, to reach 909,504.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: “Hundreds of thousands more criminals are getting away with appalling crimes and more victims are being let down under the Conservatives. That’s the shocking reality behind today’s figures.

“Across the country people are sick and tired of nothing being done. The shameful lack of leadership from the Conservatives on law and order over 12 years has done deep damage to policing and the criminal justice system, but it is victims and communities who are paying the price.”

The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, said:”This is an appalling state of affairs. People should have the right to feel safe and know that criminals who victimise them will be caught and punished.

“We’ve had years of tough talk from Conservative ministers, but the truth is they can’t even get the basics right.”

Diana Fawcett, he chief executive of Victim Support, said victims were waiting longer for justice: “This huge rise in recorded crime coincides with victims across the country facing agonisingly long waits for trial. With the highest number of cases for 20 years coming into the criminal justice system, we need urgent action to address the backlog of cases, to ensure that those who’ve had the courage to report a crime get the justice they deserve.”

In a statement, the Home Office appeared to lay at least some blame on the police, still recovering after years of cuts. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We know there is more to be done now that restrictions have been lifted and we expect the police to ensure they are getting the basics right.

“The government has given policing an additional ?1.1bn this year, including investing millions in tackling crime in the worst affected areas. We are also supporting the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers across England and Wales, with over 13,500 already on the streets, keeping our communities safe.”