THE number of rape cases reported to Avon & Somerset Police in the last year soared by almost half, from about 2,000 to just over 3,000.
Chief Constable Sarah Crew said the 47% rise means the force area has a rate of reports higher than anywhere else in the country.
But she said this was largely down to more victims coming forward to report attacks, as they had more confidence in the police to bring charges.
Speaking during a streamed question session with Police & Crime Commissioner Clare Moody, Ms Crew said the increase in recorded rapes was “quite staggering”, adding: “Something is going on.”
She said the proportion of victims reporting attacks had risen from 3.5% three years ago to 17.4%.
The National Crime Survey suggested there had not been a big rise in rapes committed in the Avon & Somerset force area, so the rise was probably caused by much higher levels of reporting, the chief constable said, adding: “It’s about people being willing to report to the police.”
The force pioneered a new way of dealing with rape cases called Operation Bluestone in 2021, where a specialist investigation team was formed, along with better collaboration with victim support services and a focus on perpetrator behaviour rather than victims’ credibility.
Ms Crew said it had resulted in big improvements in charge rates.
She said: “From our perspective, there is a strong hypothesis that people have greater confidence in Avon & Somerset Police and they are coming forward.”
Ms Crew said a change in how crime is recorded means cases where a victim was raped many times during the course of a relationship by the same perpetrator were correctly recorded as multiple crimes.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service