Sex attacks on young boys have soared by 70% in Greater Manchester over the last four years – reaching a 14-year high.
Greater Manchester Police have recorded an 88% hike in the number of rapes against boys under 16 and the number has more than doubled for boys under the age of 13.
On a busy Saturday afternoon in June 2012, a 14-year-old boy was raped in the toilets of a Debenhams department store in Central Manchester.
The victim was abducted in the Arndale Centre by Abdelkader El-Janabi and Alex Wilson-Fletcher, who were jailed for 15 years in 2013.
The men marched the teenage victim to the toilets of the store where they raped him in a ‘sustained attack’.
Sex crimes against men have also a dramatically risen in the last four years – the number of reported rape cases jumped from 78 to 127 in the last year alone.
Duncan Craig, the Chief Executive of Survivors Manchester, a voluntary organisation supporting male survivors of sexual abuse, said he was unsurprised by the figures.
“Society is not preparing young men to be able to speak out and it is important for people to be able to talk about it,” said the 37-year-old.
“There is a problem with men coming forward – only 30% of the people who come to our service report crimes to the police.
“We are concerned about under reporting, but it is fantastic that more people report as it means there is more confidence.”
A report written by Stockport MP Ann Coffey last month warned that child sexual exploitation is becoming the ‘social norm’ in Greater Manchester.
The ‘Real Voices’ report determined that schoolgirls are routinely approached by men who ply them with alcohol, drugs and gifts to groom them for sex.
Ms Coffey’s report was conducted in the wake of the of the 2012 Rochdale sex scandal – where a group of men who preyed on under-age teenage girls were convicted of sex trafficking.
Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said: “The report makes clear about how far we have come since the terrible events of the Rochdale grooming case.
“It is clear that agencies who are tasked with keeping our young people safe have made huge mistakes in the past.”
If you are concerned about a child or young person, Greater Manchester Police can be contacted on 101 or the NSPCC on 0800 800 5000.
Any child or young person wanting help or advice can also use the numbers above or contact ChildLine on 0800 1111.
Male abuse sufferers can call Survivors Manchester for support and advice on 0161 236 2182.
A list of sex crimes and rapes against males:
| Year | Sex Crime | Rape | Under 16 | Under 13 |
| 2012 | 245 | 87 | 35 | 128 |
| 2013 | 292 | 78 | 40 | 127 |
| 2014 | 391 | 127 | 75 | 185 |
Image courtesy of Martin Sharman, with thanks
