Cap hides the full extent of violent crime, research has shown

Lancaster researchers have found that a cap masks the scale of violent crime against women in official statistics. Lancaster researchers estimate that violent crime is 60% higher than official figures suggest due to a cap, which means that a person can only be registered as a victim five times. This 60% increase is not evenly distributed, however. When the cap was removed, the researchers found that: - The number of violent crimes against women increased by 70%, compared with a 50% increase for men; - The number of violent crimes committed by acquaintances and domestic relations of the victims increased by 100% and 70%, respectively; - And the number of violent crimes committed by strangers increased by 20%. Professor Sylvia Walby, Professor Brian Francis and Dr Jude Towers analysed the Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) figures for 2011-12 and calculated that, in total, it does not account for more than one million violent offences. The researchers also highlight the fact that the CSEW does not separate the violent crime by domestic relation and the sex of the victim at the same time when publishing the statistics, rendering statistics concerning the exact nature of domestic violence invisible. The Office of National Statistics has defended the cap, saying that it is necessary to ensure that their estimates are not skewed by a very small number of people who report an extremely high number of incidents.