The Isle of Man Constabulary provided data on sexual assault reporting and prosecution outcomes for the period between 2010 and 2017 in response to a Freedom of Information request. The response included statistical breakdowns of crime statuses, reasons for discontinuation, and the number of subjects charged versus cautioned.
Key Facts
The data covers seven full crime years from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2017.
A total of 408 sexual assault incidents were recorded during this period.
Approximately one in four recorded sexual assaults resulted in a prosecution (109 charged subjects).
Reasons for discontinued cases frequently included insufficient evidence, withdrawn complaints, or inability to identify offenders.
The response explicitly states that crime reports do not record the final prosecution outcome of persons charged.
Data Disclosed
408
109
140
212
56
2010-2011
2016-2017
01/04/2010
31/03/2017
2017-12-01
2018-01-05
Data Tables (2)
2013-2014
22
29 4
55
16
35
4
55
22 47
16 46
6
7
75
69
140 212
56
408
4
4
1
4
1
27
20
15 1
1
17
18 1 2
1
22
2014-2015
2015-2016
13 1 2
16
17
1 4
22
13
2
1
16
140
14 14
3
Full Response Text
5th January 2018
MEOIRYN SHEE-ELLAN VANNIN
ISLE OF MAN CONSTABULARY
Freedom of Information
Our Ref: IM112310I
Dear
I write in connection with your request for information dated 1st December 2017, which was
received by this office on 4th December 2017. I note you seek access to the following information:
Please can you provide data on the reporting to the police of and subsequent prosecutions of
sexual assault cases on the Isle of Man?
I would like to know how many incidents of sexual assault (including rape) are made to the Isle of
Man Police and how many of those are brought to trial. Where cases were not brought to trial
please give statistical data on the reasons, for example if there was insufficient evidence or where
the perpetrator was unknown.
Following communication with you the following response is provided:
Analysis
For the purposes of this report the offences listed in Annex 1 have been included as representing
Sexual Offences, and those in Annex 2, although recorded in the period reviewed and classified in
sexual offences category, excluded.
The period analysed was from 01/04/2010 to 31/03/2017, seven full crime years.
The count of incidents was based on crime reports created in the period. It should be understood
that a crime report may contain reporting of multiple incidents, and also relate to incidents that
occurred considerably earlier than the date of reporting.
The table below shows the number of sexual assaults recorded in each year, split by the current
status:
Discontinued
Cleared
-
Outstanding
No Crime -
Grand
Crime Year
Completed
but NFA
Not a Crime
Total
2010-2011
27
17
11
55
2011-2012
20
19
18
57
2012-2013
17
19
6
42
2013-2014
22
29
4
55
2014-2015
16
35
4
55
2015-2016
22
47
6
75
2016-2017
16
46
7
69
Grand Total
140
212
56
408
There is no simple way of summarising reasons why a reported assault has been given status of
discontinued, or determined to not be a recordable crime.
A dip sample of update and investigation reports showed a variety of reasons for discontinuing
crimes. These frequently included that there was insufficient evidence to charge with a realistic
chance of conviction, (also described as "not meeting evidential threshold", or "lack of forensic
evidence''), but also reasons of withdrawn complaint, (in some cases believed to be a false
allegation), inability to identify offenders, or conflicting evidence.
Those with status of Cleared do not in all cases indicate a prosecution followed - only those where
a subject was charged progress to prosecution. The following table shows how the cleared crimes
were progressed:
Prosecution
not
pursued as Victim I
Detected No
subject is deceased /
Crime Year
Charged
Cautioned
Proceedings
too ill
Total
2010-2011
22
4
1
27
2011-2012
11
4
4
1
20
2012-2013
15
1
1
17
2013-2014
18
1
2
1
22
2014-2015
13
1
2
16
2015-2016
17
1
4
22
2016-2017
13
2
1
16
Grand Total
109
14
14
3
140
Crime reports do not record prosecution outcome of persons charged with offences.
Overall, for the past seven years, roughly one in four recorded sexual assaults have resulted in a
prosecution (109 charged subjects from 408 reports).
Annex 1
Offences Included in review
Offence Description
ABDUCT FEMALE FOR MARRIAGE OR SEX
ADMINISTER DRUGS TO OBTAIN SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
BUGGERY
GROSS INDECENCY
GROSS INDECENCY WITH CHILD
INDECENT ASSAULT ON FEMALE
INDECENT ASSAULT ON FEMALE UNDER 16 YEARS
INDECENT ASSAULT ON MALE
INDECENT ASSAULT ON MALE UNDER 16 YEARS
PROCURE CHILD TO COMMIT GROSS INDECENCY
RAPE
SEXUAL GROOMING
U.S.I WITH MALE UNDER 13 YEARS
U.S.I. WITH FEMALE UNDER 13 YRS
U.S.I. WITH FEMALE UNDER 16 YEARS
Annex 2
Offences Not Included in review
Offence Description
KEEPING A BROTHEL
INDECENT EXPOSURE
ABDUCTION OF MALE / FEMALE UNDER 16 YEARS
BIGAMY
UNLAWFUL DETENTION / ATT. UNLAWFUL DETENTION
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
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