Reports of rape in Jersey increase by a third in one year

States of Jersey Police said it investigated 60 reports of rape in 2023 compared with 47 in 2022

Allegations of rape reported to police have risen by nearly a third in Jersey in one year, official figures show.

States of Jersey Police said it investigated 60 reports of rape in 2023 compared with 47 in 2022 - an increase of 28%.

However, Det Supt Alison Fossey said only 10 of the 60 reported rapes made it to court.

She said the force was working hard to "improve the quality of our investigations".

The release of the figures coincides with the beginning of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week which aims to encourage people to come forward and report allegations to police.

The force secured eight convictions from the 10 rape cases prosecuted in Jersey in 2023, it said.

'Stronger cases'

Ms Fossey said she believed the increase in alleged rapes reflected more people having the confidence to make a report to police.

However, she acknowledged the charge rate needed to improve and she said the force was working with prosecutors to "build stronger cases and to ensure more cases see the inside of a court".

She added: "I do acknowledge not all cases make it court and that's for a variety of reasons but that's the hard work we're investing at the moment to improve the quality of our investigations.

"Without a victim who is willing to see the process through, it is highly unlikely it will go to court.

"It takes a lot of courage for a victim to reveal the details of that crime to police and see the process to conclusion.

"Part of building that confidence is by letting them know what to expect."