An Oxford Mail investigation found that more than a third of crimes recorded in Cherwell this year led to no prosecution of a suspect.

Collating data sets taken from the crime statistics site data.police.uk, the Oxford Mail found that of the 10,474 crimes recorded in Cherwell between January and September this year, 3,382 (32 per cent) did not lead to prosecution of the suspect.

The crimes recorded included theft, criminal damage and arson, shoplifting, public order and violence and sexual offences.

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January saw the lowest number of recorded crimes, at 905, whilst the highest number of crimes recorded was seen in August, with 1,368 crimes being reported.

The highest number of suspect prosecutions came in May, with 498 suspects facing legal action out of a total of 1,282 committed offences.

The highest percentage of crimes recorded without a suspect prosecution occurred in March, when 463 out of 1,186 crimes (39 per cent) led to no legal action.   

A Thames Valley Police Spokesperson said: On occasion, cases do not lead to a prosecution.

“This can be for a number of reasons, such as formal action not being in the public interest, further investigation is not in the public interest, no suspect is able to be identified, or insufficient evidence is available to prosecute a suspect.

“However, investigations that are filed, are done so pending any further information coming to light, and can be reviewed should any new evidence or information become apparent.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 12,472 offences in Cherwell in the 12 months to June.

The figures come as a victim support group says “women deserve better” after a sharp rise in violent and sexual offences led to a record high for police-recorded crime in England and Wales.

501 sexual offence crimes were recorded in Cherwell over the last year, which is an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year.

Additionally, violent crime has risen in the area, from 4,072 to 4,630 over the same period.

Rachel Almeida, Assistant Director for Knowledge and Insight at Victim Support said: “It is seriously concerning to see such a significant rise in sexual offences.

“Being a victim of sexual violence is completely life changing.

“To make matters worse, low prosecution rates means many victims are facing agonising waits to find out whether their case will go to court, only to be let down.

“With trust in the criminal justice system at an all-time low, the police must do more to improve prosecution rates and ensure that victims of sexual violence get the justice they deserve.”

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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