Up to 1 December this year, 13 of the 59 cases of indecent assault reported to the police were brought to trial or a parish hall inquiry. The figures for rape show that only one of the 40 incidents reported to the police made it to court.
Detective Inspector Steve Langford said that rape cases were one of the most challenging investigations for the States police but he hoped that proposed changes to the law would reduce the number of undetected sexual offences.
Home Affairs Minister Kristina Moore is due to submit the draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law to the States Assembly early next year. Under the proposed changes there would be an overhaul of the legislation relating to rape which would mean that, for the first time, men could be classed as the victims of rape.
At present, rape is defined as penile penetration of the vagina. The proposed changes would mean that any forcible sexual act involving a penis, whether oral or anal penetration, would be classed as rape. Rape victims would also be able to give their evidence via a video link in court.
In May Jersey opened its first sexual assault referral centre supporting the victims of sexual abuse. To 1 December the centre had supported 46 people.
Det Insp Langford said: ‘A big thing for us is making sure the public understand what consent is and that the public have a modern understanding of rape and what it means. The new legislation will move us closer to what is already happening in the UK around sexual offences. Certain offences that are not classed as rape now will fall under rape under the new legislation.
‘I think the new legislation will have a significant impact on detection rates and victims coming forward because the offenders are likely to get longer sentences.’
He added: ‘Rape cases always need to be driven by the wishes of the victim, and plans to allow victims to give evidence via video link will help. The criminal justice process is daunting for victims and there is no doubt giving evidence in court can dissuade victims from coming forward.
‘Being able to do that via video link will inevitably make a difference to the number of cases that end up in court. We need to be able to provide victims with as much support as possible.’
The States police aim to launch a campaign next year which they hope will dispel some common misconceptions about rape and will give Islanders a better understanding of the criminal justice process.
Det Insp Langford said: ‘The biggest challenge we have is making sure people understand consent. Rape cases are in the hands of a jury and it can be really hard for them to make a decision.’
He added that myths needed to be dispelled about rape such as ‘the idea that all rape takes place in an alley by a stranger’ as well as challenging some views that a woman may have been attacked because of what she was wearing or how much she had drunk.
