Sexual offences and VRR
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/003580/K
Version Date: 01/09/2025
The Performance Analysis Department and the Criminal Justice Unit has provided the following information.
For questions 1 and 2, searches were completed on Niche using filters on the stats classification descriptions mentioned within the request text.
It relates to a no further action decision following a report of rape or sexual assault.
Please note there are three parts to my request.
1. In the time period 1 January 2024 up to 31 July 2025, how many (a) rape investigations, (b) sexual assault by penetration investigations and (c) sexual assault investigations were carried out by your force. Please provide the data per offence, e.g. 1 rape; 2 sexual assault by penetration; 3 sexual assaults.
| Rape | |||
| SC Description | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| Rape a girl under 13 (recordable) | 31 | 36 | 67 |
| Rape a man 16 or over - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 35 | 30 | 65 |
| Rape of a boy under 13 - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 16 | 10 | 26 |
| Rape of a Female aged 16 or over (Sec 1 SOA 2003) | 594 | 332 | 926 |
| Rape of a female aged 16 or over by multiple undefined offenders (Dorset) | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Rape of a Female aged under 16 (Sec 1 SOA 2003) | 100 | 65 | 165 |
| Rape of a female aged under 16 by multiple undefined offenders (Dorset) | 1 | 1 | |
| Rape of a male aged 16 or over by multiple undefined offenders (Dorset) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Rape of a Male aged under 16 (Sec 1, SOA 2003) | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| Rape of a male aged under 16 by multiple undefined offenders (Dorset) | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 796 | 483 | 1279 |
| Sexual Assualt by Penetration | |||
| SC Description | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| Assault a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of your body / a thing - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| Assault a male 13 or over by penetration with part of body / a thing - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Engage in penetrative sexual activity with girl under 13 - offender under 18 (recordable) | 1 | 1 | |
| Offender of any age cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 1 | 1 | |
| Offender of any age cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetration (recordable) | 1 | 1 | |
| Offender under 18 cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 2 | 2 | |
| Sexual assault of a female 13 or over by penetration (S2, SOA 2003) | 95 | 58 | 153 |
| Sexual assault of a male child under 13 by penetration (Sec 6 SOA 2003) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Total | 125 | 80 | 205 |
| Sexual Assaults | |||
| SC Description | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| Assault a boy under 13 by touching - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 37 | 22 | 59 |
| Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (recordable) | 25 | 7 | 32 |
| Offender of any age cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| Offender under 18 cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Offender under 18 cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| Offender under 18 engage in non penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13 - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Offender under 18 engage in non penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 - SOA 2003 (recordable) | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| Sexual assault of a female 13 or over by penetration (S2, SOA 2003) | 95 | 58 | 153 |
| Sexual assault of a female child under 13 (S3, SOA 2003) | 93 | 65 | 158 |
| Sexual assault of a male child under 13 by penetration (Sec 6 SOA 2003) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Sexual assault on a female (recordable) | 530 | 298 | 828 |
| Sexual assault on a male aged 13 or over (Sec 3, SOA 2003) | 110 | 48 | 158 |
| Total | 928 | 517 | 1445 |
2. In the time period 1 January 2024 up to 31 July 2025, how many (a) rape investigations, (b) sexual assault by penetration investigations and (c) sexual assault investigations resulted in no further action at the point of the evidence being reviewed by the reviewing/supervising officer. Please provide the data per offence, e.g. 1 rape; 2 sexual assault by penetration; 3 sexual assaults.
Please note that we have provided all outcomes so that the requester can make their own decision on which outcomes are relevant.
| Rape | |||
| Latest Stats Class Status | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| 1: Charged | 13 | 9 | 22 |
| 1: Summonsed/postal requisition | 4 | 4 | |
| 10: Police - formal action not in public interest | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11: Named suspect below age of criminal responsibility | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 12: Named suspect identified but is dead or too ill (physical or mental health) to prosecute | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 13: Named suspect but victim/key witness deceased or too ill | 5 | 5 | |
| 14: Victim declines/unable to support action to identify offender | 134 | 54 | 188 |
| 15: CPS - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| 15: Police - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 94 | 27 | 121 |
| 16: Victim declines/withdraws support - named suspect identified | 358 | 145 | 503 |
| 18: Investigation complete no suspect identified | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| 20: Other body/agency has investigation primacy | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 21: Police - named suspect, investigation not in the public interest | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 22: Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, has been undertaken and there is no public interest to continue | 2 | 2 | |
| 5: Offender has died | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Cancelled/transferred | 1 | 1 | |
| New | 132 | 213 | 345 |
| Total | 796 | 483 | 1279 |
| Sexual Assualt by Penetration | |||
| Latest Stats Class Status | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| 1: Charged | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 1: Summonsed/postal requisition | 1 | 1 | |
| 11: Named suspect below age of criminal responsibility | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12: Named suspect identified but is dead or too ill (physical or mental health) to prosecute | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 13: Named suspect but victim/key witness deceased or too ill | 1 | 1 | |
| 14: Victim declines/unable to support action to identify offender | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| 15: CPS - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 5 | 5 | |
| 15: Police - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 19 | 4 | 23 |
| 16: Victim declines/withdraws support - named suspect identified | 55 | 31 | 86 |
| 18: Investigation complete no suspect identified | 3 | 3 | |
| 1A: Alternate offence charged | 1 | 1 | |
| 20: Other body/agency has investigation primacy | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 21: Police - named suspect, investigation not in the public interest | 1 | 1 | |
| 5: Offender has died | 1 | 1 | |
| New | 9 | 34 | 43 |
| Total | 125 | 80 | 205 |
| Sexual Assault | |||
| Latest Stats Class Status | 2024 | 2025 (until 31/07/2025) | Total |
| 1: Charged | 25 | 8 | 33 |
| 1: Summonsed/postal requisition | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| 10: Police - formal action not in public interest | 5 | 5 | |
| 11: Named suspect below age of criminal responsibility | 15 | 9 | 24 |
| 12: Named suspect identified but is dead or too ill (physical or mental health) to prosecute | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 13: Named suspect but victim/key witness deceased or too ill | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 14: Victim declines/unable to support action to identify offender | 129 | 45 | 174 |
| 15: CPS - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 22 | 2 | 24 |
| 15: Police - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties | 164 | 48 | 212 |
| 16: Victim declines/withdraws support - named suspect identified | 332 | 162 | 494 |
| 18: Investigation complete no suspect identified | 73 | 29 | 102 |
| 1A: Alternate offence charged | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 1A: Alternate offence summonsed/postal requisition | 1 | 1 | |
| 20: Other body/agency has investigation primacy | 42 | 20 | 62 |
| 21: Police - named suspect, investigation not in the public interest | 18 | 10 | 28 |
| 22: Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, has been undertaken and there is no public interest to continue | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 3: Adult conditional caution | 5 | 5 | |
| 3A: Alternate offence adult conditional caution | 1 | 1 | |
| 8: Community resolution | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| New | 64 | 167 | 231 |
| Total | 928 | 517 | 1445 |
3. In the time period 1 January 2024 up to 31 July 2025, how many (a) rape investigations, (b) sexual assault by penetration investigations and (c) sexual assault investigations in which the outcome was to take no further action, how many of those decisions were appealed by way of the victim asking for the case to be reviewed. (VRR process). Please provide the data per offence, e.g. 1 rape; 2 sexual assault by penetration; 3 sexual assaults.
| VRR requests received 01/01/2024-31/07/2025 | Count |
| Rape (A) | 32 |
| Sexual Assault penetration (B) | 5 |
| Sexual Assault (C) | 4 |