Redrawing the boundaries: The adequacy of the Sexual Offences Act in addressing female sexual offending

Abstract

Discussion around sexual offending traditionally focuses on the notion of male offenders and female victims. In this paper we argue that there is clear evidence that females commit offences and that males are often the victims of these offences. We discuss the evidence for this and the impact it has on the victims of these offences. We argue that the processes which have informed policy in this area have dismissed this class of offending and as a result the Sexual Offences Act and associated sentencing guidelines do not provide a clear enough framework for the prosecution of these offenders. We present some suggestions for how this lacuna could be addressed.