PPS publishes latest statistical bulletin on cases involving sexual offences

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) today published its Statistical Bulletin: Cases Involving Sexual Offences 2021/22 which presents key statistics in relation to the prosecution of sexual offences, including caseloads and prosecutorial decisions.

The Bulletin presents key statistics for the 2021/22 financial year (i.e., 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) and includes comparisons with the 2020/21 financial year.

During the 2021/22 financial year:

• The PPS received a total of 1,509 files involving a sexual offence. This was a decrease of 3.8% on 2020/21 (1,568). There was an increase of 3.8% in the number of files received involving an offence of rape, from 578 to 600.

• Files received included a total of 1,573 suspects, 622 of whom were charged or reported for rape (an increase of 2.3% on 2020/21) and 951 were in respect of other sexual offences (a decrease of 9.9%).

• 1,540 prosecutorial decisions were issued by the PPS in respect of suspects in cases involving sexual offences. The Test for Prosecution was met in respect of 35.5% of decisions, which included 546 decisions for prosecution or diversion from the courts. At 35.5%, the percentage of decisions meeting the Test represents an increase from 2020/21 (27.8%).

• Of the 994 no prosecution decisions issued during 2021/22, the vast majority (98.3%) did not pass the evidential test. The remaining 1.7% did not pass the public interest test.

• Median days for the issue of indictable prosecution decisions (prosecution in the Crown Court) in cases involving sexual offences was 274 calendar days (293 days in 2021/22). Median days for summary prosecution decisions (prosecution in the Magistrates’ or Youth Courts) was 28 days (16 in 2020/21).

• A total of 256 defendants were dealt with in the Crown Court in cases involving sexual offences. The overall conviction rate was 72.7% compared with 71.3% in 2020/21.

• Seventy-two defendants were dealt with in the Crown Court for an offence of rape and forty-seven (65.3%) of these were convicted of at least one offence (i.e., any offence). Twenty-one defendants (29.2%) were convicted of an offence of rape.

• A total of 190 defendants were dealt with in the Magistrates’ and Youth Courts for a sexual offence during 2021/22. The overall conviction rate was 73.2% compared with 68.0% in 2020/21.

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