AN investigation by a children’s charity has revealed recorded sexual offences against children are at an all-time high.

The NSPCC requested data from police forces across the UK, and found there were 76,204 recorded offences including rape, grooming and sexual assault against children in the UK in 2018/19 – an average of one every seven minutes.

A total of 4,952 of those offences were recorded by police forces in the North-East and Cumbria, and 9,394 of those offences were recorded by police forces in the Yorkshire and Humber area.

In North Yorkshire, total offences in 2014/15 were 624, and this rose to 1,103 by 2018/19, a 76.7 per cent increase. In Cleveland, there were 247 total offences in 2014/15, which rose to 964 by 2018/19, a 290 per cent increase. Durham reported 896 offences in 2014/15 and 1,155 by 2018/19, an increase of 28.9 per cent.

Analysis of the data nationally also revealed that where age of victim was provided, 16,773 offences were recorded against children aged ten and under, with 341 of the offences against babies under the age of one.

Children who suffered sexual abuse will often need extensive support but overstretched services are failing to keep pace with demand, and the NSPCC is calling for a radical reshaping of how this support is delivered across the country.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said: “Record numbers of child sexual offences means we are facing a nationwide crisis in the help available for tens of thousands of children.

“These children are bravely disclosing what happened to them but in too many cases there is not enough timely, joined up and child-friendly support. Instead they are shunted from overstretched service to service.

“We need a radical rethink in the way we help these young people, otherwise they could struggle for the rest of their lives with long term, deep seated trauma.”

The charity is calling for the provision of specialised services around the country, with an emphasis on early joined up support from police, local NHS services, children’s services and advocacy for children who have experienced sexual abuse, offered in child-friendly spaces.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We share the NSPCC’s revulsion at any crime involving the abuse of children and would like to reassure the public that the protection of children remains a key priority for North Yorkshire Police.

“The force has invested heavily in this area of work with the introduction of dedicated online and exploitation abuse teams, a non-recent abuse investigation team and digital forensic teams.

“Part of our work includes monitoring offenders’ use of the internet, encouraging suspects to get help for their offending and extensive work with partner agencies and charities, including the NSPCC, to prevent and detect the abuse of children.

“North Yorkshire Police has also recently been praised by the HMICRS, the national inspectorate, for the way the force monitors and manages registered sex offenders and how we identify and protect vulnerable people.

“While the number of offences appears to have increased significantly over the past four years as outlined by the NSPCC, it is recognised such offending was previously under reported and at times hidden. We strongly believe that this increase of reporting is down to more victims having the confidence to report offences and improved crime recording. It also reflects the proactive work we are doing to raise awareness about the issue of child abuse and promoting the help and support that is readily available to the victims and their loved ones.”

“During the investigation of child abuse, referrals are made to both statutory and non-statutory partners so that each child receives the necessary support and care. We will continue our collective work to develop these services across the City of York and North Yorkshire.”

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire County Council said: “We work in partnership with agencies in the county in supporting child victims of sexual abuse, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and police and also sits on the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Board.

“Our social work teams use Psychologically-Informed Practice when working with young people who have experienced abuse, taking into account their specific psychological needs, emotions and experiences when working with them. Extensive personal safety education is also carried out in schools.

“The county council also sits on the North Yorkshire Victims and Witnesses Board, which co-ordinates a further range of services for victims of sexual crime, including support from Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and therapeutic services provided by IDAS.

Stuart Carlton, director of Children and Young People’s Services at North Yorkshire County Council said: “Local services and professionals in North Yorkshire have a high awareness and skills in supporting children who have experienced the trauma of abuse.

“However, we will never become complacent about the support we provide and will continually strive to ensure we provide the most appropriate help and services.”