Sex work

Version Date: 29/04/2025

The Performance Analysis Department has provided the following information.

What is the number of prostitution cases taken to court each year between 2014-2024 in Dorset (in the last 10 years)?
(and with a breakdown of the specific charges)

Information not held, please submit a request to the courts.

How many people have been arrested for soliciting sex work between 2014-2024 in South Dorset (in the last 10 years)?

Data Source: Custody Universe.

Data parameters: Data runs from 01/01/2014 – 31/12/2024 and I have searched for all arrests with a HO Stats Code of 167/01 (Solicit another for the purpose of obtaining their sexual services as a prostitute in a street / public place (recordable)) or 167/02 (Pay / promise to pay for sexual services for self / another of a prostitute subjected to exploitative conduct (recordable)).

How many prostitute cautions were issued between 2014-2024 in Dorset? (In the last 10 years)

Data source: Niche Crime Universe

Data parameters: Data runs from 21/05/2015 (when Niche was introduced) – 31/12/2024. I have searched for all crimes with a HO Stats Code of 167/01 & 167/02 (as above), 024/17 (Cause / incite prostitution for gain - SOA 2003 (recordable)), 024/18 (Control prostitution for gain - SOA 2003 (recordable)) and 024/19 (Keep / manage a brothel used for prostitution (recordable)). I have filtered out all Latest Stats Class Status except 3: Adult caution or 3: Adult conditional caution and included these two in the table below.

How many reports of violence/abuse against sex workers were filed each year between 2014-2024 in Dorset (in the last 10 years)?

Are there any problem profiles in relation to sex work or soliciting sex work?

Clarification:
In terms of the fourth question, would it be possible to get information on both incidents and crimes? No problem about the years/dates.

Data source: Storm and Niche

Data parameters: Using Storm (dates October 2020 – 31/12/2024) I searched for all incidents with the following disposals ‘VIOLENCE S20/MORE SERIOUS’, ‘VIOLENCE S20/MORE SERIOUS CRI’, ‘VIOLENCE S47/LESS SERIOUS’ and ‘VIOLENCE S47/LESS SERIOUS CRI’ and which contained the keyword ‘sex work’ in the comment or incident description.

I have searched within the Niche Crime Universe for all crimes from 21/05/2015 – 31/12/2024 with a Main Crime Group of ‘Violence Against the Person’ and that contained within the occurrence summary the keyword ‘sex work’. Two crimes were found, and these have been combined with the information sourced from Storm into the table below.

Data Limitations: Please note, there is no data on Storm prior to 2020.

The mention of ‘sex work’ occurrence does not necessarily mean that the victim is a sex worker. Also, even if the victim is a sex worker this does not mean that they were soliciting at the time of the incident or that the incident was directly related to their profession.

The table below contains Storm reports which were crimed into Niche with a main Crime Group of Violence Against the Person and the two crimes that were recorded directly into Niche and not via the Call Centre and Storm log. Crimes can be recorded directly into Niche if an officer is made aware of a crime without it being reported first by a member of the public.