As many as 81 people have been raped at knifepoint in West Yorkshire in the past four years.
The shocking figures come from the Home Office’s crime data, which tracks rape and other serious crimes that have involved the use of a knife or sharp instrument.
There were 81 rapes committed using a knife in West Yorkshire between 2012/13 and 2015/16 – or one every two to three weeks.
This was the third highest in the country behind London’s Metropolitan Police, where there were 325, and Greater Manchester, where there were 103.
The lowest was Bedfordshire and Cumbria which both recorded just two
In the most recent year, 2015/16, there were 29 rapes in West Yorkshire in which a knife or sharp instrument was used.
This was the highest annual figure within the four years.
In addition, there were another nine cases of sexual assault last year where the perpetrators used sharp objects to subdue their victims.
Use of knives to commit rape, as with other offences, can increase the amount of time the perpetrator can expect to spend behind bars if they are prosecuted and convicted, according to the Sentencing Council’s guidelines for sexual offences.
Force | Rapes in which a knife or sharp instrument was used 2012/13 - 2015/16 |
| Metropolitan Police | 325 |
| Greater Manchester | 103 |
| West Yorkshire | 81 |
| Thames Valley | 36 |
| Essex | 34 |
| South Yorkshire | 25 |
| Lancashire | 21 |
| Nottinghamshire | 17 |
| Merseyside | 12 |
| Derbyshire | 11 |
| North Yorkshire | 9 |
| City of London | 0 |
| British Transport Police | 0 |
