FOI 2653
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: HRC0002653/26
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 20th April 2026. Please find below the response to your request:
Please provide aggregated data on recorded sexual offences occurring in retail premises within your police force service area.
For the purposes of this request 'retail premises' refers to commercial premises primarily used for the sale of goods to the public, including shops, supermarkets, and shopping centres.
Please provide the number of recorded offences per calendar year from 2016 to the most recent year
available.
Where held and within the cost limits set out, please provide the data broken down by:
- Type of sexual offence (in line with Home Office Counting Rules)
Reply
West Mercia Police have conducted searches and can confirm that information is held in relation to your request.
Caveat: To ensure the Force remains compliant with GDPR and MoPI regulations, certain MoPI 3 level data is automatically deleted from Force systems after a period of 6 years. As a result the data within this FOI will only date back 6 years to reduce confusion and the misinterpretation of data as records prior to 6 years will potentially not be complete or accurate.
Number of sexual offences in retail premises recorded in West Mercia from 1/1/2020 to 31/12/2025:
|
Home Office Primary Offence Title by Sexual Offences Sub Group |
Calendar Year |
Grand Total |
|||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
||
|
OTHER SEXUAL OFFENCES |
22 |
27 |
19 |
30 |
26 |
37 |
161 |
|
Additional Voyeurism Offences (upskirting) |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|||
|
Assault on a female by penetration |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Attempted - Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Female child - penetration |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Attempted - Sexual assault on a female |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Attempted - Sexual assault on a male |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Causing or inciting a female child under 16 to engage in sexual activity by Penetration - Offender Under 18 |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Causing or inciting a female child under 16 to engage in sexual activity No Penetration - Offender 18 or over |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13 by an offender over 18 years of age |
2 |
2 |
|||||
|
Exposure |
3 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
25 |
|
Sexual activity with a female child under 16 by Penetration - Offender Under 18 |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Sexual assault of a female child under 13 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|||
|
Sexual assault on a female |
12 |
16 |
13 |
18 |
16 |
24 |
99 |
|
Sexual assault on a male |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
14 |
|
|
Sexual assault on a male child under 13 |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Share photograph or film of person in intimate state without consent |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, or for sexual gratification |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Voyeurism |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
RAPE |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
|
Rape of a female aged 16 or over |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
||
|
Rape of a female aged under 16 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|||
|
Rape of a male aged 16 or over |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Grand Total |
24 |
29 |
21 |
32 |
27 |
41 |
174 |