A growing concern has emerged regarding police forces failing to record the ethnicity of criminals, especially in cases where it could lead to accusations of racism.
Recent data analysis reveals a sharp rise in incidents where the ethnicity of perpetrators, particularly in sensitive cases like child abuse, is not documented.
Rising Numbers of Unreported Ethnicities in Criminal Cases
According to the latest Ministry of Justice statistics, the percentage of child sex offence cases where the ethnicity of the perpetrator is not recorded has significantly increased.
In 2011, around 5.6% of child sex offence cases lacked ethnicity data, but by 2025, that number has jumped to 28.7%.
Similarly, for all sexual offences, nearly 29% now lack this information, a stark rise from just 8% in 2011.
Robbery cases have also seen a drastic increase in unreported ethnicity data, with 44% of robberies not documenting the criminal’s background, up from only 8% in 2011.
Concerns Over the Impact of Missing Data
Former Conservative minister Neil O’Brien, who conducted the analysis, expressed concern over the absence of consistent ethnic data in criminal cases.
He argued that this trend is part of a “digital desert on migration” and is particularly worrying in the context of the grooming gang scandals.
These scandals involved men, predominantly of Pakistani heritage, who were convicted of grooming, raping, and trafficking young girls across the UK.
O’Brien emphasized that failing to record ethnicity makes it impossible for the criminal justice system to detect potential patterns of crime linked to specific ethnic groups.
He believes this lack of data could hinder the identification of problems and patterns that need addressing.
Fear of Being Labeled Racist Leads to Inconsistent Recording
The former minister suspects that the reluctance to record ethnicity stems from a fear of being accused of racism.
He pointed out that this reluctance is part of the reason victims of grooming gangs were overlooked for so long.
Despite the lessons from the scandal, O’Brien argues that the issue persists, leaving authorities unable to connect the dots.
He has called for a full national inquiry into these practices, criticizing the government for blocking such investigations.
Political Reactions and Calls for Accountability
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick voiced his concerns, stating that the lack of ethnic data could fuel perceptions that the state is covering up the impacts of migration.
This has sparked further debate, with some accusing the government of avoiding transparency.
In response to the growing controversy, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced several local reviews into grooming gangs, following public pressure and comments from figures like tech mogul Elon Musk.
Cooper also initiated a rapid three-month review of gang-based exploitation to reassess the scale of the issue and explore potential solutions.
This move follows calls from Labour MPs for a new investigation into these troubling cases.
