CWASU Child And Woman Abuse Studies Unit

Statistics & Information

Rape and Sexual Assault

Attrition Rates

The tables below provide information on attrition - that is the process by which reported rape cases are lost from the legal process, and thus do not result in a criminal conviction

UK Data:

Please refer to the most recent study on attrition in the UK; A Gap or a Chasm? Attrition in Reported Rape Cases (2005).

Attrition in rape cases England and Wales 1985-2003

Source: Kelly et.al (2005)

 

 

UK research findings on attrition in reported rape cases
StageChambers & Millar 1983*Grace et. al 1992Lees & Gregory 1993St. Mary's 1996-7Jamieson et.al 1998*Harris & Grace 1999Lea et. al 2003
Police Stage:
Cases Lost 46% - 57%44%36%67%61% 
No-crimed22%45%43%--25%11% 
Unsolved24%7%7%--11%-
NFA-10%6%--31%-
Prosecution Stage:
Referred to CPS54%-43%30%64%31%-
Discontinued16%-18%7%32%8%14% 
Court Stage:
Prosecutions38%33%25%24%32%20%-
Rape conviction15%19%9%9%15%6%5%
Conviction Other10%8%2%-4%7%6%
Acquittal9%7%14%-4%7%-

Note that these studies presented findings in different ways and full data sets were not accessible toperform any re-calculation. Figures are not available, therefore, for each stage of the attrition process, and some data are missing.

In Lees & Gregory, and Jamieson et. al, data was limited to rape and attempted rape in the sample.For some cases the utcome was still unknown.

* Research conducted in Scotland.

Source: Kelly, Lovett & Regan 2005

 

Overall Attrition Rates for Rape 1977-1999:
YearTotal Offences Recorded by Police as Rape Total Cautioned / Found Guilty of RapeTotal Cautioned / Found Guilty as a % of All Rapes Recorded by Police*
19771,01532432%
19851,84245024%
19872,47145318%
19893,30561319%
19914,045 55914%
19934,58948211%
19954,98657812%
19976,28159910%
19998,5006347%

* Rounded figures
Source: Home Office, Official Statistics.

Home Office Study of Rape
Complete Sample of Cases 100% (n=483)
Crimed Cases75%
Detected Cases 64%
Defendants Charged31%
CPS Prosecuted23%
Court Proceedings 21%
Conviction (All Offences)13%

Conviction (Rape) 		6%

 

  • Over two-thirds of cases dropped out at the very first hurdle, during the police investigation.
  • One quarter of incidents initially recorded as rape were subsequently 'no-crimed' by the police.
  • Cases where the complainant and suspect were acquaintances were most likely to be 'no-crimed'.
  • Half of all the cases that were 'crimed' resulted in 'no further action' (NFA) by the police.
  • Cases involving intimates were most likely to be NFA-ed or discontinued by the CPS.
  • In the small minority of 'stranger rape' cases (only 12% of the full sample), where a suspect was identified the case was more likely to proceed to court than in those cases where the complainant and suspect were previously acquainted.
  • Forty cases that involved complainants who had learning disabilities or were 'mentally disordered' were 'no-crimed' or NFA-ed, and the majority of 'gang rape' cases, where more than one suspect was involved, were also 'no-crimed' by police (Harris and Grace, 1999).

 

Comparison of prosecution outcomes in adult and child rape cases 1998-2002
 Rapes and attempted rapes of adult females and malesRapes and attempted rapes of child (under 16) females and males
YearProsecutionsConvictions  Prosecutions resulting in convictionsProsecutionsConvictionsProsecutions resulting in convictions
1998136638228 %81029136 %
1999131931724%84633540%
2000124532926%78826434%
2001152832621%111224122%
2002164635221%128829223 %

Source: Home Office data


European Data:

For European Attrition Patterns See Rape: The Forgotten Issue? A European Research and Networking Project

and Rape: Still a Forgotten Issue

 

 

 


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