More help for sex offence victims needed says charity

The NSPCC, who highlighted South Yorkshire Police figures showing 952 children were sex offence victims in 2013-14, said 85 child sex crimes a day were reported nationally, including rape, sexual assault and grooming.

The victims in one in four cases (8,282 of the 31,328 total) were younger than 11 — 2,895 of them aged five and under, including 94 babies.

Around 8,700 more offences were reported in 2013-14 to 41 police forces, compared with the previous year.

NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: “These national 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 agonising wait of many years before telling anyone — and others never reveal what has happened to them.

“It’s time to throw down the gauntlet to government which has to ensure all sexual abuse victims get specialist treatment to help them recover.

“By the end of this current Parliament there should be no children living in the shadow of abuse.”

The NSPCC helpline received was called 140 times last year by people across South Yorkshire about sexual abuse, with 90 cases referred to police or children’s services.  

The charity said it had helped 2,400 young victims through its therapeutic recovery programmes but warned there were not enough services available across the UK to ensure all children who have experienced abuse get the support they need.