UK: Scale of historical child abuse will be examined for the first time in official crime figures

Questions about historical child abuse have been included in the Government's official crime survey for the first time.

Thousands of adults have been quizzed by the Office for National Statistics to try to expose the full extent of such crimes in the past.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales has incorporated a new category of questions with officials asking respondents whether they had experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse while growing up.

The survey will attempt to uncover accurate figures on offending at places such as schools, sports clubs or in the family home, who carried out the attacks, the victim's relationship to the culprit, and the age assaults began.

The ONS said it had decided to include questions on child sex abuse because the issue had become 'topical' after scandals involving Jimmy Savile and other celebrities were exposed.

The Government has also set up a landmark £100million inquiry into the blizzard of historic child sex abuse allegations, including against VIPs, churches, schools, local councils and MPs, led by High Court judge Justice Lowell Goddard.  (more...)

Scale of historical child abuse will be examined for the first time in official crime figures as next nationwide survey will ask every adult in the country if they are victims

Related:

Is Lowell Goddard moving towards a ” Show Trial ” over the Westminster Paedophile Ring?