FOI 438514

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 438514

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 22^nd October 2025.  Please find below the response to your request:

 

Please provide the following information for the last available 12 months’ data in relation to:

 

1. All female victims of domestic abuse
2. All female victims of sexual offences

 

If you are unable to provide data for all female victims, please provide the data for:

 

1. All victims of domestic abuse
2. All victims of sexual offences

 

The information sought is:

 

1. In what proportion of cases is the victim’s ethnicity recorded on the police

electronic system?

 

2. What is the ethnic breakdown of those victims for whom ethnicity is recorded?

Please state whether the ethnicity recorded is self-assessed or based on police IC

codes.

 

Please additionally provide the following information:

 

3. Is the recording of a victim’s ethnicity a mandatory field on your force’s electronic system?

 

4. If so, please can you confirm when this was made a mandatory field.

 

5. Please can you confirm what steps, if any, you have taken since 1 May 2024 to improve the recording of victims’ race and ethnicity data on your systems, including any technology solutions, training or policy/guidance provided to officers.

 

 

Reply

 

Table 1. Self-defined ethnicity of female victims of domestic abuse-related offences.
Self-Defined Ethnicity	Number of female victims
Any Other Asian Background	68
Any Other Black, Black British or Caribbean Background	48
Any Other Ethnic Group	15
Any Other Mixed or Multiple Background	18
Any Other White Background	197
Arab	5
Bangladeshi	11
Black African	36
Black Caribbean	13
Chinese	6
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	3
Indian	36
Pakistani	47
White And Asian	12
White And Black African	7
White And Black Caribbean	15
White British	5,466
White Irish	4
Not Stated	1,871
Blank/not recorded	195
Grand Total	8,073
Table 2. Self defined ethnicity of female victims of sexual offences.
Self-Defined Ethnicity	Number of female victims
Any Other Asian Background	22
Any Other Black, Black British or Caribbean Background	9
Any Other Ethnic Group	2
Any Other Mixed or Multiple Background	11
Any Other White Background	47
Arab	1
Bangladeshi	1
Black African	10
Black Caribbean	3
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	2
Indian	3
Pakistani	9
White And Asian	6
White And Black African	2
White And Black Caribbean	5
White British	1,621
White Irish	2
Not Stated	802
Blank/not recorded	96
Grand Total	2,654

 

 

Please note the search above returned 2,654 individual female victims of sexual offences.  Of these 2,654 females, an individual may be a victim of more than one sexual offence during the reporting period. 

It should be noted, the tables only include victims whose gender has been recorded as female on the crime recording system.  Victims will not appear in these figures where gender has been recorded as unspecified, unknown, or left blank.

3. Is the recording of a victim’s ethnicity a mandatory field on your force’s electronic system?

 

Nil return - This field is not mandatory on Athena

 

4. If so, please can you confirm when this was made a mandatory field.

 

Nil return – This filed is not mandatory on Athena

 

5. Please can you confirm what steps, if any, you have taken since 1 May 2024 to improve the recording of victims’ race and ethnicity data on your systems, including any technology solutions, training or policy/guidance provided to officers.

 

No specific information held.

 

The National Protected Characteristics Coding Scheme has been formally approved by the Chief Constables’ Council. This marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to enhance the quality, consistency, and transparency of data recording across UK policing.

 

The approval of the revised coding scheme signals the start of a broader programme to improve how protected characteristics are recorded across policing. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing are collaborating to develop practical resources that will support implementation:

 

• What protected characteristic data should be recorded
• When it should be recorded and why

 

Staff are advised to record any relevant detail relating to victims and this includes Protected characteristics.

 

OCC have introduced 4 of the PC’s as mandatory for the call takers to ask; Age, Sex, Gender reassignment and disability. This is in line with SOH recording currently. 

There has been more training for the OCC staff around the “why” we need to collate the information and the original scripts have been re-written to make this easier for the call takers to ask the questions 

Activity Prior to 1 May 2024

• Policy Foundations
• Adopted national guidance requiring the capture of self-defined ethnicity (SDE) in line with Home Office Counting Rules and NPCC standards.
• Embedded equality monitoring principles into victim care policies and crime recording procedures.
• System Design
• Configured mandatory ethnicity fields within core systems (e.g., RMS) for relevant crime and incident types.
• Introduced validation checks to reduce incomplete or inaccurate entries.
• Training and Awareness
• Delivered initial training to officers and staff on the importance of accurate ethnicity data for statutory reporting and public confidence.
• Incorporated reminders into supervisory reviews and performance discussions.

Activity Since 1 May 2024

• Policy and Guidance Updates
• Refreshed operational guidance to reinforce the requirement for accurate ethnicity recording at first point of contact.
• Issued communications highlighting HMICFRS findings and the force’s improvement plan.
• Technology Enhancements
• Updated system prompts and workflows to make ethnicity fields more visible and mandatory where appropriate.
• Enhanced data validation and reporting dashboards to monitor compliance.
• Training and Cultural Change
• Rolled out targeted e-learning and briefing sessions focused on impartiality, data integrity, and the link to HMICFRS recommendations.
• Embedded equality considerations into daily briefings and leadership messaging.
• Monitoring and Accountability
• Introduced periodic audits and performance dashboards to track ethnicity data completeness.
• Shared results with local teams and senior leaders to drive continuous improvement.