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Norfolk schools see nearly 450 sexual offences since 2020, prompting new action

Sarah Taylor is developing an action plan to curb sexual offences in schools with new policing support set to roll out next month

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Overview

  • Norfolk Police data show 444 sexual offences recorded in county schools since 2020, with 67 percent at secondary level and 15 percent in primary settings.
  • Children under ten have been implicated in 45 cases, including eight aged five and under accused of rape or sexual assault.
  • Nearly 70 percent of the reported victims are female, echoing Ofsted’s warning that sexual harassment of girls has become normalised in schools.
  • Sarah Taylor, Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has expressed grave concerns and is drafting a long-term strategy to tackle peer-on-peer abuse.
  • Norfolk Police will launch a targeted support scheme next month to help schools address behaviours and attitudes that can lead to allegations of sexual offences.