Almost 450 sex crimes were committed against babies before they reached their first birthday in the past year, startling new figures reveal.
Police forces in the UK recorded 73,518 offences including rape, online grooming and sexual assault against children in 2019/20, similar to the 73,379 the previous year - but up 57 per cent from 46,738 in 2014/15.
The data, obtained by the NSPCC under freedom of information laws, suggest girls were four times more likely to be victims than boys.
More than 8,000 offences were committed against 14-year-olds, while 12,374 sex crimes were recorded against children under 10, and, shockingly, 449 against babies yet to reach their first birthday.
NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: “The crisis of child sexual abuse is not going away and behind these figures are thousands of children and young people who have reported crimes that can have a devastating impact on their lives.
“Urgent action is needed to prevent abuse and to ensure children are supported to recover when they bravely speak out.”
The figures come from 44 of the 45 police forces across the UK, but do not include Greater Manchester Police, which did not provide information.
They were released on Monday as an NSPCC report found contacts to Childline about sexual abuse in the family tripled during the coronavirus lockdown with an average of 23 per week since March 23.
The charity is calling for departments, including the Home Office, Department of Education and Ministry of Justice to work together to prevent abuse.
Mr Wanless added: “We need concerted leadership from governments across the UK to implement strategies on tackling child sexual abuse that put the experiences and needs of children at their heart and are effective in preventing abuse and helping young people recover.”
Safeguarding Minister Victoria Atkins said: “These are truly sickening figures, which is why the government has made it a priority to lead the global effort to tackle this crime, safeguard victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
“It is right that we prioritised children at an immediate risk during the pandemic and are now working towards publishing our first of its kind national strategy on tackling all forms of child sexual abuse by the end of this year.”
