Campaign hailed as sex attacks fall

A DROP in the number of reported sexual assaults across West Yorkshire has been credited by police to a rape awareness campaign – but some experts say victims are simply not coming forward.

Reported sexual offences over the Christmas period fell by 50 per cent compared with last year, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Between December 17 and 31 2008 there were 23 reported sexual offences.

Between December 11 and 31 last year there were 11 reported offences across West Yorkshire, four of them for rape, for which arrests have been made.

Police chiefs say an education campaign played a part in keeping women safe.

Operation Northdale, which ran throughout December and into the New Year, saw police officers working closely with local authorities, Street Angels and other police volunteers to raise awareness.

The initiative, which ran to coincide with National Rape Awareness Week, involved playing a hard-hitting film on mobile display vehicles in city centres to drive home messages about how to keep safe on a night out.

More than 140 volunteers took part in the operation, distributing anti-drink spiking devices and other products to revellers and more than 2,500 people received safety messages on their mobiles through the use of Bluetooth technology.

Insp Jon Morgan of the West Yorkshire force’s local policing department, said: “The success of this operation demonstrates how partnership working can be used to reduce crime including sexual offences.

“By using innovative methods of communication such as the media display vehicles and Bluetooth technology, we are able to target people of all ages and ensure that alcohol fuelled crime is kept to a minimum.”

But experts say the statistics should be treated with caution.

Katie Russell, a trustee with Rape Crisis (England and Wales) and the organisation’s Yorkshire representative, said it was positive that the police were taking the issue seriously but said statistics should be taken with a “pinch of salt”.

She said: “We know that rape and sexual violence are massively under reported. It’s very difficult to know the true extent of these crimes.”

She said low conviction rates and feelings of shame, guilt and fear suffered by victims meant that reporting rates continued to be low.

Ms Russell said it would be “refreshing” to see awareness raising campaigns focusing on men and their responsibilities. She and her colleagues are planning to open a rape crisis centre in Leeds in March and are currently seeking financial help. The Leeds centre closed some years ago, although there are centres in Bradford and Kirklees.

A spokeswoman for the Survivors Trust, a national agency working with victims of sexual abuse and rape, said: “It is vital to remember that the vast majority of sexual crimes remain unreported to the police.

“This means that a low reporting rate does not necessarily mean that these offences are not taking place. Victims need to be offered a range of places where they feel safe and can come forward to talk about what has happened to them and receive support to rebuild their life. This is where services such as Survivors West Yorkshire can help.”

She added: “While information campaigns are hugely important to bring home the message that people need to keep themselves as safe as possible on an evening out, taking steps to stop sexual attacks must not be seen only as the responsibility of the victim. Victims are not to blame if they are attacked.”