South Yorkshire Police responds after nearly 1,000 cases of child neglect were reported in one year

Home Office data shows South Yorkshire Police logged 861 crimes of child cruelty in 2020-21 – up from 80 the year before.

There were 64 recorded in 2012-13, when records began.

Nationally, child cruelty offences leapt by 12 per cent to a record 25,000 last year.

Offences have almost quadrupled since 2012-13, with forces recording more than 130,000 crimes in less than a decade.

Of those, 1,514 were logged by South Yorkshire Police.

The Government said the dramatic national increase in offences is likely to have been driven by improvements in recording.

Pierre Hyman, senior policy officer at the NSPCC, called for Government investment to strengthen safeguarding and ensure authorities work together to tackle the issue.

He added: “To see year after year the number of child cruelty offences rise so dramatically is concerning.

“We have similarly seen a rise in calls to our helpline around child abuse and neglect.

“We need political leadership on ensuring child abuse victims are supported in the criminal justice system.”

Separate figures show the majority of the 545 child cruelty cases closed by South Yorkshire Police last year were never brought before the criminal courts – just 16, or three per cent, resulted in a charge or summons being issued, though some matters may have been addressed in the family courts.

Recent Department for Education figures show at least 469 looked-after children in Sheffield had suffered abuse or neglect – 70 per cent of those in care in the area as of March.

The National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for child protection, Ian Critchley, said: “We encourage anyone who believes a child is being abused to report their concerns, no matter how small they seem.”

South Yorkshire Police said: “Child neglect and abuse of any kind is a serious crime and we are committed to working with agencies across our region, as well as our local communities, to protect and safeguard children from harm.

“We work closely with our partners in health and social services to identify and share information about children who may be at risk, so we can better protect them.

“In September 2021 we developed our bespoke Child Matters training package in partnership with the NSPCC and a range of other partners including local NHS Trusts with the aim to raise awareness of the signs of child neglect and abuse amongst staff, officers and partners. We know that child abuse has previously been significantly under-reported, so we are pleased that, since the launch of our training package, reporting in this area has notably increased.

“However, we recognise that there is always more work to be done - we will not be complacent. This type of crime can have devastating, and at times fatal, consequences and we are determined to continue to raise awareness of child abuse across South Yorkshire to ensure that we have the opportunity to prevent children from suffering and to bring offenders to justice, whilst empowering communities to spot the signs of abuse and to report to us with their concerns.”