Surge in criminal cautions 'an insult to victims'

A surge in the number of criminals handed a "slap on the wrist" has been condemned as an insult to victims.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said a 17 per cent rise in police cautions in England and Wales - to 299,000 last year - was a direct consequence of Labour's failure to build extra prisons.

For the first time, people charged with violence against the person are now more likely to receive a caution than a court appearance. Mr Davis said: "This is an insult to victims of crime.

"It is bad enough that so many people suffer from soaring violent crime. It is outrageous that so many people get away with it."

He added: "This is a direct consequence of Labour's failure to address the chronic lack of capacity in our prisons, meaning people who should be in jail are not.

"People want to see offenders properly prosecuted and convicted. How will cautions help reduce crime? A proper sentence offers the chance of rehabilitation, a caution does not."

Home Office figures also showed the number of criminals found guilty in court fell by 4 per cent last year.

There were 1,484,000 offenders convicted in magistrates' Crown courts compared with 2.1 million in 1981 and 1.52 million in 1991.

When cautions were taken into account, 1,783,000 offenders were dealt with by the criminal justice system, down 1 per cent.

The total cautions for more serious "indictable" offences also rose 17 per cent to 183,000. The statistics disclosed that 51,000 offenders were cautioned for violence against the person, an increase of 14,400 or 39 per cent on the previous year.

In all, 55 per cent of those charged with violence against the person received a caution, up 7 per cent on the previous year, and 47 per cent of people on drug charges were cautioned.

The data revealed 27 per cent of criminals caught by police and punished were dealt with by a caution, excluding motoring offences.

The document also revealed:

• The conviction rate in the Crown court for indictable offences rose by 1 per cent to 7 per cent, but the proportion convicted of sexual offences remained at 56% despite wide-ranging Government measures to boost results;

• The number of criminals handed a community sentence increased one per cent to 204,000;

• A total of 17 people were given a caution for raping a woman, and five for raping a man;

• The total number of rape convictions rose marginally from 741 in 2004 to 745;

• The number of murder convictions in the year reached 394, up from 361 in 2004.

Last year's figures showed 40 rapists a year were being allowed to walk free with a caution, reprimand or final warning after admitting sex attacks on men and women.

Women's groups and experts on rape called on the police and Crown Prosecution Service to review the process.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "These figures show that more offences are being brought to justice than ever before.

"Violent crime has fallen 43 per cent since a peak in 1995. We are quite clear that more serious cases of violent crime will lead to a custodial sentence.

"But in certain cases, involving much less serious injuries, a simple caution may be appropriate and it is right for the police to decide whether to issue a caution or whether to charge."