About 75% of all rape reports in Aberdeen are raised with police more than three weeks after the alleged incident- risking vital evidence being lost.
Police Superintendent, Kate Stephen, yesterday told the city council’s public protection committee that the vast majority of complaints are made to the force after the “generally accepted forensic window” of three weeks.
The number of reported rapes and sexual assaults in Aberdeen has risen in recent years, but police have attributed this to an increased confidence among victims in reporting the crime.
Figures showed that, between April and September last year, there was an increase in the number of rapes recorded in the city with 59 compared to a five-year average of 41.6.
With more publicity around the issue of historic rapes and abuse, more people are coming forward to the police.
However, evidence can be hard to gather in such cases and much forensic material is lost over time.
Kincorth, Nigg and Cove councillor, Sarah Duncan, asked the senior officer if there was any way of raising more awareness of the forensic window – and said any increase in convictions would “increase public confidence”.
Supt Stephen said that there were many reasons people did not instantly report rapes, but advised that forensic samples could be obtained even while victims were still deciding whether to make a complaint.
She added: “Having dealt with such a traumatic incident, it can take a while for a victim to come to terms with it and report.”
