More than 10% of convicted Greater Manchester’s rapists re-offend, according to shocking statistics collected over the past 10 years – but this could just be the tip of the iceberg according to a national rape charity.
The result of a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request submitted to the Ministry of Justice showed that 34 convicted rapists out of 317 (10.7%) in the region had re-offended between the years of 2005 and 2012 – the last calendar years on record.
Katie Russell, national spokeswoman for Rape Crisis, revealed that only a small percentage of people who are raped choose to report to the police, meaning that the problem could be a lot more widespread than assumed.
“While we know that rape is often a repeat offence, it is very concerning then that of that small fraction of rapists that sentenced, as many as 10% go on to reoffend,” she said.
“The Government estimates that just 15% of those who are raped or sexually assaulted choose to report to the police and only a small percentage of those sexual offences that are reported eventually end in a conviction.”
Katie believed that rehabilitating rape offenders is a tricky process, but can most certainly be achieved to prevent re-offending.
She also explained that more education was needed to prevent rape from occurring, in terms of consent and the impact it can have on victims lives.
Proven re-offending data for adult and juvenile offenders in Greater Manchester who were originally sanctioned for rape:
|
Year |
Number of offenders |
Number of re-offenders |
|
2005 |
43 |
6 |
|
2006 |
39 |
2 |
|
2007 |
35 |
4 |
|
2008 |
34 |
4 |
|
2009 |
50 |
5 |
|
2010 |
41 |
7 |
|
2011 |
34 |
2 |
|
2012 |
41 |
4 |
“In order to reduce and prevent sexual violence, we need far more widespread understanding both of consent and what constitutes rape, and of the devastating, often lifelong impacts that rape and other forms of sexual violence can and do have on survivors and their families and communities,” she said.
“Likewise, in order to be rehabilitated, offenders need to accept responsibility for their crimes and experience remorse.
“Rapists are ordinary men and there is no reason why, with proper work and education, they can’t come to understand the consequences of their actions and feel an empathy for their victims that makes them less likely to reoffend.”
Image courtesy of Ulisse Albiati, with thanks.
