The newly appointed Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People has expressed concern at the number of alleged rapes and sexual assaults in schools and colleges which have been reported to the PSNI.
Among the 132 cases reported to police, 21 were alleged rapes, 21 cases involved sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over and 35 involved sexual assault on a male child under the age of 13. In addition to this, there were 41 reports of sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over and 14 reports of sexual assault on a female child under the age of 13.Responding to the figures, the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People, Chris Quinn said that the details were "horrifying".
“These figures, as well as the deeply concerning news earlier this year that sexual offences in NI are currently at an all-time high, reinforce how vital it is that robust safeguarding policies and educational programmes in this area, are prioritised to ensure the safety of children and young people.