BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 revealed that there were over 10,400 reports of females committing child sexual abuse between 2019 and 2019 which equates to around 40 per week.
A criminology researcher at Durham University, Dr Andrea Darling, has stated that the figures represent the “tip of the iceberg” due to the fact that many do not report sexual crimes. Dr Darling highlighted that there was a lack of understanding of the extent of female-perpetrated abuse.
The Scottish Government has said that it has “strengthened legislation and increased funding to make it easier for victims and survivors to speak out against abusers”.