FOI 24217
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: HRC0024217/26
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 5th August 2026. Please find below the response to your request:
I would like to request the following information:
The number of alleged-crime reports linked to Minecraft that were sent to the force each year for the past decade. Please could you let me know which ages were affected and what crimes were alleged.
Reply
West Mercia Police have conducted searches in relation to your request and hold the following information.
Caveats:
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.
All offences that mention Minecraft in the summaries, regardless of context, have been taken as positives and appear in the issue tables. False positives include theft of a Minecraft wallet, theft of Minecraft figurines and theft of Minecraft Lego, description of Minecraft slippers.
Not all offences have a victim linked.
|
Calendar Year |
Number of offences |
|
2020 |
1 |
|
2021 |
5 |
|
2022 |
2 |
|
2023 |
2 |
|
2024 |
4 |
|
Grand Total |
14 |
NB: There were no recorded offences in 2025 and 2026.
|
Victim Age Group |
Calendar Year |
Grand Total |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
||
|
10 years and under |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
||
|
11-17 years |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
||
|
18-21 years |
3 |
3 |
||||
|
22 years and over |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
1 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
13 |
|
Home Office Primary Offence Title |
Calendar Year |
Grand Total |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
||
|
Assault with Injury - Assault occasioning actual bodily harm |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Attempted rape of a male child under 13 by a male |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Blackmail |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Breach of non-molestation order |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Female child no penetration |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Male child no penetration |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||
|
EXPIRED – NOT FOR USE AFTER 30/01/24 - Disclose or threats to disclose private sexual photographs/film with intent to cause distress. |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Harassment |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Rape of a female aged under 16 |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Rape of a male child under 13 by a male |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Send indecent or grossly offensive communication to cause distress or anxiety Sec 1A Malicious Communications Act 1988 |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Stalking - Pursue course of conduct in breach of Sec 1 (1) which amounts to stalking |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
1 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
14 |