Nottingham has emerged as the Midlands' most dangerous city for violence and sexual offences, according to the latest crime statistics. The East Midlands city now records a total offending rate of 124.9 per 1,000 residents, placing it sixth highest nationally, while Birmingham follows at 114.2 per 1,000, ranking 16th.
The figures, drawn from two separate analyses, highlight that Birmingham is not the most violent part of the region when crime is measured per head of population. This per-capita comparison offers a clearer picture of an area's crime difficulties, as larger cities naturally report higher absolute numbers of offences.
Sexual Offences Rate Soars in Nottingham
In a separate study, Nottingham was also identified as the worst place in the Midlands for sex attacks. The data, covering rape, sexual assault, exposure, voyeurism and grooming offences, shows a rate of 5.2 offences per 1,000 residents in the city.
This development makes concerning reading for Nottingham and suggests serious problems with violent crime. While overall recorded crime nationally has generally fallen over the past decade, sexual offending has soared. Sex offences increased by 4% last year and have more than doubled since 2016, although that may reflect greater victim confidence in coming forward to report offences.
Charge Rates Remain Low Despite Rise in Reports
Despite the rise in reports, conviction rates remain low. Of crimes recorded in the last year, fewer than one in 20 (4.7%) resulted in an offender being charged with a crime. Charge rates were even lower for rape: just 3.6% of reported rapes involving a female victim, and only 1.4% involving a male victim, ended with a suspect being charged.
These statistics underscore the challenges facing Nottingham in tackling violent and sexual offences, and they highlight a national trend of increasing reports but low charge rates, a situation that will likely require continued attention from authorities and policymakers.
