1998 1999 - Nationalarchives.gov.uk

However the underlying trend may overstate the reduction. This is because the trend
figure has been calculated by eliminating the effect of the counting rule changes,
which we have assumed to be the introduction of common assault and assault on a
constable into the coverage in April 1998. This has not been totally correct, as the
recording of some assaults involving minor injuries ‘switched’ from other wounding to
common assault in April 1998 as a result of a change in Home Office guidance.
Figure 4 OFFENCES OF VIOLENCE
Twelve months ending March 1999
Less serious offences of
violence 79%
475,746 offences
(d) The number of sexual offences recorded in 1998/99 increased by 2.2 per cent,
which is similar to the average increase during the last ten years. The increase during
1998/99 included a 9.4 per cent rise in offences of rape with a female victim, and a
33.9 per cent rise in male rape. The number of recorded rapes has risen by 144 per
cent in the last ten years, which is thought to be partly due to an increase in the rate of
reporting and recording of these offences.
(e) Robbery offences increased by 5.6 per cent to 66,800. This follows a 13.3 per
cent fall during the previous year. Over the last ten years, the number of robberies
has more than doubled. Robberies of business property accounted for 16 per cent of
the total, with the remainder being robberies of personal property – mainly muggings.
6
Sexual offences 6%
36,174 offences
Robbery 11%
66,836 offences
Homicide and other more
serious offences of
violence 4%
27,047 offences