Concern about porn's impact as police record 10% rise in sexual crime

CARE has expressed concern about the impact of pornography as Scottish police note a ten per cent rise in sexual crime in four years.

New figures reveal the every category of sexual crime, except those associated with prostitution, increased between 2018-22.

The number of rapes reported to the police went up by eight per cent, and sexual assault rose by one per cent.

Crime in general decreased during this period to the lowest level since at least 2013-14, when 500,000 crimes were recorded.

A spokeswoman for CARE commented:

"It's concerning to note a rise in sexual crime included reported rape and sexual assault in the last few years. With growing evidence of porn's link to sexual violence, and endemic porn consumption, it is important to assess porn as a potential driver of crime.

"A parliamentary inquiry recently stressed the need to curb access to porn by children, and porn sites themselves which engage in deeply unethical practices. It is time for UK authorities to begin reckoning with porn's harms, and taking action."