RAPISTS are among dozens of sex offenders to have been let off with a caution, the Mail can reveal.
Hundreds of criminals, including sex offenders, escaped prosecution for serious crimes last year.
Humberside Police said the decision to caution people for serious crimes is not taken lightly.
But charities that support victims of rape and sexual abuse say they are concerned to see cautions being used for offences of rape.
Angie Egan, chair of trustees at Hull Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Service, said: "On the face of it, we would have concerns about the number of cautions being used for what is a serious matter."
Figures from the Home Office show Humberside Police have issued cautions for rape, sexual assault, cruelty to children and assault with intent to cause serious harm.
This is despite government guidelines advising cautions should be given for "minor crimes" such as writing graffiti on a bus shelter.
Overall, Humberside Police issued 2,598 cautions between April 2013 and March 2014.
During that period, four people were given cautions for rape. Two of those offences were committed against girls under 13, one was against a boy under 13 and the other was a female over 16.
Last week, the Mail revealed that some sex offenders have also been dealt with through "restorative justice", which means they escape prosecution if they apologise.
A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "Cautions are used by the police as an effective means of dealing with offences and are just one of many options available to us.
"All penalties used by the police have a place and the key is to ensure the correct penalty is used for the right offender.
"A caution is frequently one of the penalties used when dealing with juveniles – particularly when the offence is their first offence.
"However, issuing a caution for serious offences is not something done lightly and is always based on individual circumstances.
"We cannot disclose the specifics of the sexual offences for which cautions were given as per the latest statistics due to the risk of identifying the victims involved.
"However, we can assure the public that all were investigated carefully and, due to the circumstances of each case, a caution was ultimately determined as being the best penalty."
Police issued two cautions for sexual assault on a male over 13 and one caution for rape of a female above the age of 16. Six cautions were given for sexual assault on females over the age of 13 and five for sexual assaults on girls under the age of 13.
Humberside police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove said: "Almost always, cautions for these types of offences are issued to children and young people who are first-time offenders.
"In the case of sexual offences, an important point to remember is that children who engage willingly in sexual activity with other children are below the age of consent – so in the eyes of the law they are committing rape or sexual assault.
"I am satisfied robust processes are in place to ensure officers make decisions that are in the best interests of the public and always put the victim first. Fundamentally, I want police officers who are empowered to use their judgment and do the right thing."
The figures also show 22 people were cautioned for child cruelty, 14 for possessing weapons and 12 for assault with intent to cause serious harm.
Twelve cautions were handed out for possession of sharp objects, four for arson endangering life and 544 for assault with injury.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: "We would hope the vast majority of these serious cases would go to court but there does need to be an element of flexibility."
Rise in crime across Humberside force area CRIME has risen across the Humberside Police area, new Home Office figures have shown. Between June last year and June this year, the number of offences went up by 2 per cent, with 65,897 offences reported to police. Reports of sexual offences have risen 16 per cent, robbery was up 20 per cent, while possession of weapons soared by 23 per cent. Bicycle theft and shoplifting increased by 10 and 11 per cent respectively. Violence without injury, which includes harassment, was up 22 per cent and burglary rose by 8 per cent. However, criminal damage was down 4 per cent, drug offences down 3 per cent and public order offences down 13 per cent. Deputy Chief Constable David Griffin said: "We recognise the latest figures show an increase in some crime areas in Humberside and work continues to address this. "Our officers work tirelessly to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour across the communities they serve on a daily basis."