April 2012

Society’s urging more protection for children

More than four children a week were victims of sex crimes including prostitution in Bedfordshire over a 12-month period, figures show.

In total 214 kids in the county were targeted in 2010-2011 and offences ranged from rape to pornography.

The numbers published by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) also show that 47 of the victims in Bedfordshire had not reached secondary school age with 19 aged five and under. The majority of the offences (132) were reported against 11-17 year olds.

Across England and Wales more than 400 sexual assaults against children were reported to police forces every week last year with fewer than one in ten resulting in a conviction.

The number of convictions in England and Wales has risen by around a quarter from 1,747 in 2007 to 2,135 in 2010.