Homicide Rates In England, Wales Increased By 12% In 2018, Record High In Over Decade

Homicide Rates in England, Wales Increased by 12% in 2018, Record High in Over Decade

Homicide rates in England and Wales increased by 12 percent in 2018 year-on-year, reaching their highest level in over a decade, a report published on Thursday by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) Homicide rates in England and Wales increased by 12 percent in 2018 year-on-year, reaching their highest level in over a decade, a report published on Thursday by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

According to the ONS, murder, manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and infanticide all constitute homicide.

"Trends in homicide can be affected by events with multiple homicide victims, for example, the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester in 2017. Excluding these terrorist attacks, the number of homicides increased by 12% (from 655 to 732 offences)," the report said, adding that murder offenses accounted for 83 percent of reported homicides.

The document further stated that 2018 was the fourth consecutive year when homicide rates increased in England and Wales. At the same time, however, the ONS noted that the rate of these crimes remained relatively small about 12 homicides per 1 million people.

Back in February, the ONS released a report that showed overall long-term reductions in violent crime rates in England and Wales, despite the growing trend of homicides. It also indicated a rise in the number of offenses involving sharp instruments, an issue that has increasingly been gaining attention in the United Kingdom, with police asking the government for more funding to help curb the trend.