NSPCC: Child sex abuse has reached record levels across Northern Ireland, according to PSNI freedom of information figures

The PSNI recorded 2,315 sexual offences such as nclude rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming and sexual exploitation against children under 18 in 2022/23.

One parent from Northern Ireland told the NSPCC Helpline: “I found out from my daughter’s school that there’s sexually explicit videos of her being sent around. She won’t tell me the circumstances of how these videos were made but I think she’s been coerced or blackmailed. She’s not even at the age of consent. The police are involved but I want her to talk to me so I can support her through this.”

A 16-year-old girl from Northern Ireland called Childline because she was in such distress.

“I feel so sick and panicky just trying to talk about it," she said. "I only met him to hang out and he made me do things I wasn’t ready for. I’m scared that if I try to report it, I don’t have evidence that he forced me and everyone will say it doesn’t count because I went over to his.”

The PSNI data and figures were obtained by the NSPCC through Freedom of Information requests sent to police forces throughout the UK.

A total of 86,962 child sexual offences were recorded across the UK in 2022/23.

The news comes as the NSPCC launches a new campaign in partnership with the Home Office to encourage adults to contact the charity’s Helpline if they hare concerned that a child could be at risk.

Kam Thandi, Helpline Director at the NSPCC, said: “The high numbers of child sexual offences being reported by police forces across the UK are a warning to us all that more must be done to tackle this abuse.

She added: “The Helpline deals with concerns, no matter how big or small, and we’re encouraging adults to contact us. What is shared could be life-changing for a child experiencing sexual abuse.”

*Adults concerned about a child’s wellbeing can contact [email protected] or call 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk. Always call 999 if there are suspicions of immediate danger.

An NSPCC video for concerned professionals can be seen here and one for the general public here.

Asked what the reasons were for the record numbers of abuse, an NSPCC spokeswoman told the News Letter there could be a number of reasons.

“Higher numbers of recorded sexual offences do not necessarily reflect an increase in prevalence of crimes, but could be explained by greater awareness of the issue and more children and adults feeling confident in reporting instances of abuse,” she said.

“Another explanation could be that the risks of abuse presented by the online world have increased, as children spend more time online and offenders exploit changing technology to target children.

“Through this latest campaign, the NSPCC hopes to further raise awareness of the issue and its Helpline, and encourage the general public and professionals to reach out with concerns about child sexual abuse. Every person can play a part in keeping children safe.”