Police record thousands of sexual offences in England and Wales schools

A Guardian investigation has revealed that police recorded at least 8,500 sexual offences against children under 13 on or near school premises in England and Wales between 2021 and 2025.

Analysis of police data obtained via freedom of information requests shows an average of nearly five sexual crimes against children aged 12 and younger were reported every day. The Guardian reported that these figures include almost 2,000 rapes and attempted rapes, equivalent to one allegation every day. More than a third of these rape victims were under the age of 13.

While many reports did not specify the age of the alleged perpetrator, the investigation found that at least 1,890 of the offences against under-13s involved an offender described as being under 18. Where the sex of the victim was documented, nearly two-thirds were female. The data also included 6,140 crimes involving the possession or distribution of indecent images of children under 18.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, described peer-on-peer abuse as "widespread, normalised and too often brushed under the carpet." She stated that while important steps have been taken, the figures show the issue remains a societal problem. Headteachers told the outlet they hope phone bans and social media restrictions will help combat problems related to AI and deepfakes.

Lawyers and campaigners have condemned the scale of the abuse, which includes offences ranging from unwanted touching to rape. Andrew Lord, a partner with Leigh Day solicitors, is among those responding to the findings. The investigation covered reports from both primary and secondary schools across the two nations.

Background

The findings are based on a Guardian analysis of police data spanning the years 2021 to 2025, specifically looking at crimes recorded on school premises or in the immediate vicinity.