Sexual assaults by area
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004698/W
Version Date: 10/06/2026
The Performance Analysis Department has provided the following information:
Data Source:
Crime information System – Niche
Data Processing:
Searched for rape and sexual assault
Limitations/Caveats
We do not record location according to council areas, we record by policing area/section.
Please note that many occurrences have multiple linked addresses, these can span different areas. Therefore, the location breakdown shows crimes that have at least one address within the linked area. This means that some crimes will be counted within both BCP and Dorset County.
Location breakdown provided below:
|
Bournemouth |
BCP |
Dorset County |
|
Bmth Central |
Bmth Central |
Dorchester |
|
Bmth East |
Bmth East |
East Dorset |
|
Bmth North |
Bmth North |
Purbeck |
|
|
Christchurch |
Weymth & Portland |
|
|
Poole North |
Bridport |
|
|
Poole South |
North Dorset |
|
|
|
Dorset County Marine |
- Please can you provide for each year between 2015 and 2025, the following information:-
a) Total no of sexual assaults (including rape) reported to Dorset Police by year
|
Year |
Count |
|
2015 |
560 |
|
2016 |
1056 |
|
2017 |
1257 |
|
2018 |
1509 |
|
2019 |
1597 |
|
2020 |
1371 |
|
2021 |
1772 |
|
2022 |
1880 |
|
2023 |
1757 |
|
2024 |
1711 |
|
2025 |
1763 |
|
Total |
16,233 |
- b) Total no of sexual assaults (including rape) reported for Bournemouth area by year
|
Year |
Count |
|
2015 |
227 |
|
2016 |
393 |
|
2017 |
463 |
|
2018 |
525 |
|
2019 |
654 |
|
2020 |
557 |
|
2021 |
721 |
|
2022 |
723 |
|
2023 |
701 |
|
2024 |
704 |
|
2025 |
757 |
|
Total |
6425 |
- c) total no of sexual assaults (including rape) reported for BCP Council area by year
|
Year |
Count |
|
2015 |
348 |
|
2016 |
618 |
|
2017 |
747 |
|
2018 |
900 |
|
2019 |
999 |
|
2020 |
849 |
|
2021 |
1112 |
|
2022 |
1128 |
|
2023 |
1068 |
|
2024 |
1064 |
|
2025 |
1109 |
|
Total |
9942 |
- d) total no of sexual assaults (including rape) reported for Dorset Council area by year
|
Year |
Count |
|
2015 |
216 |
|
2016 |
443 |
|
2017 |
513 |
|
2018 |
604 |
|
2019 |
613 |
|
2020 |
541 |
|
2021 |
667 |
|
2022 |
793 |
|
2023 |
757 |
|
2024 |
739 |
|
2025 |
731 |
|
Total |
6617 |
- for each of above points a - d, please provide numbers of sexual assaults where suspect has either 'no known relationship' and/or classed as 'a complete stranger' with the victim by year.
Dorset Police
|
Offender/Victim Relationship |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Complete stranger |
60 |
123 |
144 |
167 |
159 |
96 |
167 |
178 |
139 |
77 |
82 |
1392 |
|
No known relationship |
51 |
114 |
149 |
170 |
195 |
170 |
195 |
275 |
263 |
284 |
309 |
2175 |
|
Grand Total |
111 |
237 |
293 |
337 |
354 |
266 |
362 |
453 |
402 |
361 |
391 |
3567 |
Bournemouth Area
|
Offender/Victim Relationship |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Complete stranger |
32 |
73 |
72 |
83 |
80 |
58 |
100 |
101 |
76 |
49 |
41 |
765 |
|
No known relationship |
20 |
41 |
67 |
87 |
102 |
97 |
110 |
140 |
128 |
163 |
178 |
1133 |
|
Grand Total |
52 |
114 |
139 |
170 |
182 |
155 |
210 |
241 |
204 |
212 |
219 |
1898 |
BCP Area
|
Offender/Victim Relationship |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Complete stranger |
43 |
87 |
115 |
116 |
116 |
77 |
125 |
123 |
96 |
58 |
53 |
1009 |
|
No known relationship |
25 |
72 |
92 |
120 |
140 |
122 |
140 |
192 |
171 |
212 |
216 |
1502 |
|
Grand Total |
68 |
159 |
207 |
236 |
256 |
199 |
265 |
315 |
267 |
270 |
269 |
2511 |
Dorset County Area
|
Offender/Victim Relationship |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Complete stranger |
17 |
35 |
29 |
51 |
45 |
20 |
41 |
55 |
54 |
21 |
32 |
400 |
|
No known relationship |
25 |
40 |
59 |
51 |
59 |
48 |
53 |
89 |
99 |
90 |
107 |
720 |
|
Grand Total |
42 |
75 |
88 |
102 |
104 |
68 |
94 |
144 |
153 |
111 |
139 |
1120 |
- for each of the above points a - d please state how many of the victims were female and how many were male.
Dorset Police
|
Gender |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Female |
486 |
912 |
1078 |
1299 |
1382 |
1172 |
1539 |
1627 |
1497 |
1472 |
1528 |
13992 |
|
Male |
73 |
153 |
187 |
218 |
209 |
197 |
227 |
244 |
252 |
234 |
230 |
2224 |
|
(blank) |
7 |
7 |
13 |
16 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
72 |
|
Grand Total |
566 |
1072 |
1278 |
1533 |
1595 |
1371 |
1770 |
1878 |
1753 |
1710 |
1762 |
16288 |
Bournemouth Area
|
Gender |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Female |
203 |
336 |
397 |
462 |
566 |
479 |
621 |
638 |
617 |
611 |
667 |
5597 |
|
Male |
24 |
62 |
67 |
70 |
84 |
78 |
95 |
81 |
81 |
90 |
86 |
818 |
|
(blank) |
4 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
31 |
|
Grand Total |
231 |
401 |
466 |
537 |
652 |
557 |
720 |
722 |
699 |
704 |
757 |
6446 |
BCP Area
|
Gender |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Female |
303 |
526 |
649 |
781 |
869 |
719 |
968 |
996 |
924 |
919 |
975 |
8629 |
|
Male |
45 |
97 |
99 |
127 |
125 |
128 |
139 |
128 |
139 |
141 |
129 |
1297 |
|
(blank) |
5 |
3 |
10 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
48 |
|
Grand Total |
353 |
626 |
758 |
916 |
997 |
849 |
1111 |
1127 |
1065 |
1064 |
1108 |
9974 |
Dorset County Area
|
Gender |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Grand Total |
|
Female |
188 |
392 |
438 |
516 |
528 |
473 |
581 |
668 |
638 |
634 |
629 |
5685 |
|
Male |
27 |
55 |
83 |
90 |
85 |
68 |
85 |
120 |
117 |
104 |
102 |
936 |
|
(blank) |
1 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
|
|
|
4 |
2 |
|
|
21 |
|
Grand Total |
216 |
451 |
524 |
613 |
613 |
541 |
666 |
792 |
757 |
738 |
731 |
6642 |