Children being raped and abused in hotels, police data reveals

Police have received hundreds of reports of child sexual abuse in high street hotel chains, data shared exclusively with BBC News shows.

Of the 504 offences recorded in hotels in 2023, 92% (464) involved physical contact with a child, while 40% (203) were recorded as rape.

The figures, provided by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), reveal where specific hotels were recorded most were budget chain hotels.

Offences in hotels made up less than 1% of the total number of recorded sexual crimes against children in England and Wales in 2023. However, police say the crime is under reported and the real figures are likely to be higher.

The NPCC says police forces are “working with hotels to try and raise awareness of child sexual exploitation”.

Under the name Operation Makesafe, hotel staff have been trained to identify signs of sexual exploitation and told how to report issues to the police.

A female victim of child sexual abuse – who was often taken to hotels by her abuser – told the BBC the data is unsurprising.

“You can put a Do not disturb sign on the door and then they can do whatever they want with nobody wondering what’s going on,” she says.

“I can’t even stay in a hotel now without thinking about what happened to me.”

Trade body UK Hospitality, which represents more than 130,000 venues, says it is “doubling down to tackle this abhorrent crime”.