New figures show that sexual offences recorded at schools across Devon and Cornwall have risen by almost half in three years.
The data was released by Devon and Cornwall Police as part of a Freedom of Information investigation into crime recorded at school premises across the UK, carried out by Teneo International School.
The organisation requested figures from several police forces across the country. Devon and Cornwall saw the sharpest increase in these offences, rising by 49 per cent.
In addition, 'other sexual offences' recorded at schools rose from 107 in 2023 to 180 in 2025. Weapon offences on school premises also rose modestly, from 14 to 18 over the same period.
While there has been a rise in reported offences, this does not necessarily mean more offences are taking place. Greater awareness, stronger safeguarding, and more young people feeling able to come forward can all push reported numbers up. In a school setting, increased reporting is often regarded as a sign that concerns are being surfaced rather than hidden. However, those behind the FOI have said that the scale of the increase, the sharpest in the investigation, is notable.
Taryn Jankes, Chief Marketing Officer at Teneo International School, said: "Of every police force we looked at, Devon and Cornwall recorded the steepest rise in reported sexual offences at schools, up by almost half in three years. The responsible way to read this is with care: rising reports can mean more young people feel able to come forward, which is something we should want to see. But an increase on this scale, and the fact that it's the sharpest in the country, is exactly the kind of pattern that schools, parents and police should be examining closely and calmly, rather than looking away from."
Devon and Cornwall See Sharpest Rise in School Sexual Offence Reports