IT’S a taboo crime typically only really seen in films or TV shows – but every year hundreds of cases of incest are reported to police up and down the country.
And as experts warn it’s a “chronically under-reported” crime, we can reveal cases of incest are more common in UK towns than you may think.
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The area with the highest rate of reported cases of incest in the country is Derbyshire, The Sun can reveal.
There were 59 alleged incidents of the troubling offence recorded by police in the county in the last 12 months – or 5.53 per 100,000 residents.
We analysed data from police forces across the UK for the number of individual crimes reported to them in the 12 months up to April 2024.
Lincolnshire Police were second in the grim totals, with 4.90 cases per 100,000, followed by Nottinghamshire Police with 3.87 per 100,000.
Fourth were Leicestershire with 3.69 per 100,000, then Avon and Somerset with 3.68 per 100,000.
Cases of incest are incredibly rare and account for only a fraction of the total crime in the UK.
Sex between close family members, including a parent, child, sibling, or grandparent, is illegal in the UK, even if both parties say they consent.
Experts told The Sun that the crime is chronically under reported due to the taboo that it carries.
Former Metropolitan Police detective Peter Bleksley said incest poses difficulty in policing and may be under-reported because of family ties.
The ex-cop said: “When looking an incest, if it is between a father and daughter who are both adults, it is typically about power.
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“The offence is committed as part of an imposing patriarchal power over somebody, it is just garishly beyond comparison.
“Typically it requires a third party to report it, which is another reason why it may be chronically under-reported.
“It often goes under the radar, because imagine the rift that it could cause in a family, it would be enormous.
“In those circumstances I can imagine the reluctance of people perhaps to come forward and say what they know.
“It poses a difficulty in policing because of family ties. The offence makes my stomach churn.”
Lack of evidence
Meanwhile a former senior child protection officer at the Metropolitan Police said: “It is incredibly rare to come across a case of incest.
“Attacks within the family are usually reported as sexual assaults or rape, most of the time.
“Reports could possibly be a parent having concerns about their children – but mostly it would be a third party call to police.
“I was doing child protection work and this would have come under my remit obviously with some familial abuse.
“Evidence is difficult to provide in this offence.
“Most of the time there will be a power balance with whether it’s age or whether it’s the status within the household.”
The law on incest in the UK
INCEST refers to sexual activity between close family members, such as siblings, parents and children, or grandparents and grandchildren.
- Criminal Offence: Engaging in sexual activity with a close family member is illegal.
- Close Family Members: Includes siblings (full or half), parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren.
- Penalties: Those found guilty of incest can face significant legal consequences, including imprisonment.
- Protection and Welfare: The law aims to protect individuals and maintain the integrity of family relationships.
- Consent Irrelevant: Even if both parties consent, it is still considered a criminal offence.
The issue has been brought to public attention after a storyline in the recent hit TV show White Lotus.
Viewers were left horrified by a sick plot line involving incest between two brothers.
Home Office stats reveal there were 888 arrests for incest or having sex with a family member in the last year of available data.
This is an increase of three per cent on the previous year.
The Sun contacted Derbyshire Police, Lincolnshire Police, Nottinghamshire Police, Leicestershire Police and Avon and Somerset Police for comment.
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Forbidden love
Danielle Heaney and Nick Cameron, half-brother and sister, were one of the UK’s highest profile incest cases.
The half siblings were separated as children but met again in their 20s and started a relationship.
The pair were convicted of incest in 2012 and put on probation by a Scottish court but then went on Good Morning America to defend their romance.
Cameron said at the time: “I think it would be lovely to grow old together.
“There is a consistent and necessary need to be close to each other physically.”
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