Historic sex abuse reports double in just three years

Reports of historic sex abuse to police have doubled in just the last three years.
Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson.Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson.
Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson.

High profile scandals of sexual grooming in Rochdale and Rotherham along with celebrity cases of Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris have encouraged victims to come forward, say police.

At the end of 2014, around 15% of sex crimes reported to Cleveland Police were classed as historic.

Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.
Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.

By the end of last year that figure had jumped to 31.8%.

That trend is also being seen in Hartlepool.

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Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson, Neighbourhood Partnership and Policing Command, Cleveland Police, said the figures were a sign victims feel more confident about coming forward.

He said: “Sexual offending is going up, that’s a good thing because it means more reporting.

Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.
Raymond Wild was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of three charges of sexual assault.

“The reporting is driven partly by some of the national scandals; things like Rochdale and Rotherham and also Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris that have brought wider attention to people of all races being responsible for child sex offences.

“It has caused people who maybe suffered for years with the impact of being a victim for many, many years getting the bravery to come forward.

“What has happened in Cleveland is mirrored nationally.”

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In Hartlepool, more than a quarter of reported sexual offences for October to December last year, related to historic allegations.

There were 17 reports more than 12 months old out of 59 alleged offences equating to 28.8%.

For the same period the previous year it was 29.8%.

Chief Superintendent Simpson said the force has specially trained officers to respond to such reports.

He said: “We have a historic investigations unit and part of its remit is to look at specific allegations including non recent offences.

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“If someone is a victim of a sexual offence we have got specially trained officers that will deal with them.”
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Teesside offers access to counselling and support services even if the victim does not wish to report an incident to police.

Former Hartlepool police officer Raymond Wild, 61, of Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, was jailed for 11 years at Teesside Crown Court this week for abusing a girl years earlier.

Last month, taxi driver David Dixon, 50, of Skelton Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for 14 years for sexually abusing two girls several decades ago.