SEXUAL assaults on women and girls in Dorset have increased by eight to nine per cent year-on-year.

They include 182 unverified allegations of rape across the county over a three-month period – an average of two each day, every day.

Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick says 79 of those were linked to domestic abuse. The rape figures compare to 169 allegations for the same period in 2023.

In addition the Commissioner listed 197 unverified allegations of sexual assault against women and girls in the three month period in 2024; 33 of which were classed as 'domestic abuse offences'. In the same period in 2023 there were 180 similar offence .

The PCC says only 4 per cent of the reported rape offences were attributed to someone not known to the victim.

Mr Sidwick says the 'stranger' figure illustrates where the police and partner agencies need to concentrate their efforts to bring people to justice and work on prevention strategies.

He says that in the same period this year there were 44 unverified sexual assaults reported against men and 13 rape allegations.

The Police and Crime Commissioner says the county is well-placed to deal with sexual offence and rape with an improvement panel set up in September 2023 to help tackle the problems involving the police and partner agencies.

He says there are several initiatives underway including working with 15-20 years olds in educational settings; a Sexual Trauma and Recovery Service; a victims support service and the expansion of the Pineapple Project from working just in Weymouth to now include Portland, Swanage and Dorchester which aims to improve personal safety primarily for young women, with 58 'guardians' now signed up to offer support and guidance.

Mr Sidwick says that part of the work on sexual assault and rape needs to tackle attitudes amongst young people – often encouraged by the internet and mobile phones, some given to children as young at seven by their parents.

"We have to have programmes in place to address the issue of mobile phones being given to kids as young as seven which allows them to look at pornography which gives them a warped view of the world and their expectations.

"Until we start dealing with that at a national level we are still going to be playing catch up in my view."