news, local-news,

SEXUAL assaults are being reported to Bathurst police at a rate of almost one a week after a 50 per cent jump over the past 12 months. New Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures show there were 48 reports of sexual assault in 2014, up from 32 in 2013. At the same time, reports of domestic assaults climbed 21 per cent from 195 to 236. Chifley local area command acting crime manager Detective Acting Inspector Chris Reay yesterday said police were targeting both areas, with statewide campaigns encouraging victims to come forward. “Police have campaigns targeting domestic violence and it could be that people are now realising they are actually in a domestic violence relationship,” Inspector Reay said. “It’s the same with sex assault, and in this region we also have been getting quite a few reports of historical sexual assaults that may have occurred several years ago but the victim has only just come forward.” Inspector Reay said it was important that victims of any assaults felt comfortable going to the police. “We do encourage people to come forward and report these things and there is now a big restructure coming through NSW looking at how police report and react to domestic violence incidents,” he said. The domestic violence and sexual assault rises were the areas of most concern for local police as the Bathurst region bucked a statewide trend of stable or falling figures in most crime categories. Break and enters to dwellings were up 16 per cent to 379 and thefts from dwellings rose 30 per cent to 206. In better news for the region, campaigns targeting malicious damage to property saw reported incidents drop from 615 to 512 over the year, while non-dwelling break and enters were down 32 per cent to 108.

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