Police prosecutions of exposure and voyeurism cases have almost halved in six years while cases have risen by a staggering 59 per cent, The Mail on Sunday can reveal,
These staggering figures show the extent of crime that plagues girls and women across the country.
Even though there has been a significant increase in the number of cases, police have not prosecuted as many suspects since 2014.
After Wayne Couzens’ conviction, officers were criticised for not treating the crime as seriously. He had publicly revealed himself to police on several occasions before being convicted.
Following the conviction of Wayne Couzens, a policeman who had publicly exposed his identity on numerous occasions before he was convicted of the crime, it has been criticized that officers treated the offense less seriously.
Independent Office for Police Conduct investigates the failure of police to correctly record flashing allegations against Couzens in 2015. This was while Couzens was with Kent Police, and three days prior to his rape and murder 33-year old Sarah Everard.
Campaigners have attacked the force’s attitude towards these offences, with Emma Ball (radio presenter) claiming she was made fun of by officers for telling her that Couzens flashed him in 2008.
Mail on Sunday analysed the Home Office data and found that prosecutions for exposure or voyeurism has dropped to 594 nationwide since 2014.
In 2016, prosecutions were maintained at 1,023; however, by 2018, they had fallen to 721 and continued their decline to the end of last year.
In the meantime, reported offenses have risen sharply from 6,420 in 2013-14 up to 10,203 this March.
The Victims Commissioner, Vera Baird, attacked the police for not prosecuting and demanded that exposure and cases of voyeurism be dealt with’seriously.
She said: ”Indecent exposure and voyeurism are serious crimes that should be recognised as a red flag about a man’s approach to women.
Victims of crime must be taken seriously. The police should investigate the case and make arrests.
“It is unacceptable that Mail on Sunday’s figures indicate that complaints nearly doubled, but that prosecutions are almost half as high.
“Victims are reporting crimes that could lead to rape, or worsening, but hit a brick wall.”
Home Office data has shown previously that the sharp increase in crime since 2014 was due to reductions in officer ranks.
The fact that charges for offences related to exposure or voyeurism exceed the national average was highlighted by police.
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for violence against women and girls, said: ‘Police take these reports very seriously, investigate, and work with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to make a joint decision on charging and prosecute where there is evidence to do so.
“It is my number one priority in fighting violence against women, girls and other minorities to improve the quality and outcomes of police investigations.
“We are aware that these offences could be precursors to other types of sexual offenses. Therefore, police will conduct risk assessments to determine the best way to prevent them from committing further offences.