Sexual assault

Any form of unwanted/ non-consensual sexual activity counts as sexual violence and there are different kinds, e.g.: rape, sexual abuse, forced marriage, trafficking and more. It can be perpetrated by a stranger but more often by someone the victim knows and might even trust like a friend, partner or family member. It can happen to anyone and no one ever deserves it and the responsibility lies entirely with the attacker.

rapecrisis.org.uk

In January 2013, An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales, the first ever joint official statistics bulletin on sexual violence released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Home Office, revealed:

• Approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men (aged 16 - 59) experience rape, attempted rape or sexual assault by penetration in England and Wales alone every year; that's roughly 11 of the most serious sexual offences (of adults alone) every hour.

• Only around 15% of those who experience sexual violence report to the police

• Approximately 90% of those who are raped know the perpetrator prior to the offence

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160106113426/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/an-overview-of-sexual-offending-in-england---wales/december-2012/index.html

https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/about-sexual-violence/statistics-sexual-violence/