While the number of sexual assaults reported in Ottawa over the past five years have only increased slightly, the incidents deemed "founded" by police are up 37 per cent over the same period.

Staff Sgt. Angela McDade of the Ottawa police sexual assault and child abuse unit said the way police classify sexual assault reports changed in 2012 — and that more that used to be categorized as "unfounded" are now categorized as "founded not solved."

In the past, a sexual assault report might be categorized as unfounded because there was not enough evidence to proceed, but now the unfounded category means "a criminal offence did not occur," she said.

The average number of sexual assaults reported between 2011 and 2015 — not including third-party reports, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon or sexual assault of a person under 16 — was 396, according to data from Ottawa police.

McDade added that "sexual violence has always been underreported" and encouraged more survivors to come forward.

"We want to ensure that victims of sexual violence feel comfortable in coming forward. We want to encourage victims to talk about it," she said.

Misconceptions can lead to underreporting

Julie Lalonde said she was in an abusive relationship for two years — but that, in the end, she only reported the assault, not the sexual assault. Now she works with other sexual assault survivors. Julie Lalonde said she is a survivor of sexual assault. (CBC)

"I want to talk about it more and more because I want people to know there are lots of people who are abused — and many who don't report it to police," she said in French.

Lalonde said misconceptions might lead someone to stay silent, including the idea that a partner cannot sexually assault you.

"That's why when women break their silence, people have a difficult time believing what they hear," she said.

A University of Ottawa study released last fall found that 44 per cent of women who reported a sexual assault to Ottawa police felt the first officer believed her and 37 per cent found that the officer was considerate of her feelings and opinions.

Last November, former University of Ottawa student Melodie Morin told CBC News she dropped out of her music program after an Ottawa police officer told her the violent sexual assault she reported was a "misunderstanding" — and that no charges would be laid because the man she accused of rape thought the sex was consensual.

After telling her story publicly, her case was reviewed and charges were eventually laid against the man she accused — but only in absentia because he had returned home to Lebanon following his studies as an international student in Ottawa.

Most sexual assault reports don't lead to charges

Only a fraction of sexual assault reports lead to charges — 20 per cent or less in each of the past five years in Ottawa.

McDade said​ that sometimes a person might report a sexual assault but doesn't want to proceed with an investigation and possible charges.

"That's their choice," she said. "That's okay because we've encouraged that amount of victims to come forward."

McDade said many sexual assault complainants have "good things to say about how they were treated by investigators," adding that she believes those situations are underreported.

"We're doing a good job," she said.

"I'm very confident that the officers that we have in the sexual assault and child abuse unit do have that compassion towards victims."