Reports of sexual offences on the rise across nation

SEXUAL offences reported to police soared in Wales last year as a new estimate suggests one in eight women aged 16 or over was a victim of sexual assault, domestic abuse, or stalking last year.

- RICHARD AULT

For men, that estimate is one in 12, making the overall average one in 10 for adults in England and Wales.

That adds up to more than three million women and around two million men aged over 16 suffering from sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking.

It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and stalking.

Separate Home Office figures show the number of sexual offences reported to police in Wales, including rape and sexual assault, increased by 11% in the year ending March 2025, to 10,577 crimes.

That's an increase of 1,113 sexual offences.

However, that might be at least partially explained by increased public confidence in reporting crime.

Cardiff reported the highest number of offences, with 1,238 crimes recorded by South Wales Police.

That was followed by the Cwm Taf Community Safety Partnership area, which takes in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil counties (948), and Swansea (857).

However, crime rates, the number of crimes recorded in each area for every 1,000 people who live there, allow for a fairer comparison of areas with different population sizes.

They show that in Wales, sexual offences were most likely to be recorded by police in Denbighshire.