The number of sex crimes reported in Aberdeen has soared by more than 50% in the past year.
Shock new figures show there were 336 incidents investigated by police between April and September last year – compared with 219 in the same period in 2014.
Last night, support charities said the statistic “could not be ignored” and called for an examination of the root causes of sexual offences.
A performance review report for the now-defunct Aberdeen City Division shows there was a 53% surge of in reported sex crimes.
It was authored by the former head of the division, Chief Superintendent Adrian Watson.
In the report, Mr said there could be a number of reasons to explain the increase.
He said: “The widespread nature of sexual offences suggests that there is no single factor responsible for the increase experienced.
“The use of the internet and social media, the recording of historic offences and increased public confidence may have contributed to the increase in the number of rape and indecent communication offences recorded.”
The report also highlights the force’s high detection rate in terms of rape – which has increased to 92%, a rise of more than 25%.
Rape Crisis Scotland said that whatever the explanation for the increase, it was vital victims of the “devastating” crime continued to be supported.
A spokeswoman said: “These figures show a significant rise in the number of sexual crimes being reported in Aberdeen.
“While this may be due in part to an increased confidence in reporting to the police, it may equally be true that the number of crimes themselves have increased, or in fact that both of these factors have played a part.
“Whatever the reasons, an increase of more than 50% in sexual offences is something that cannot be ignored.
“We must continue to do everything possible to ensure that survivors of this devastating crime can come forward with confidence, knowing that they will be believed, able to feel that they have a real prospect of obtaining justice, and that the criminal justice system will act as a credible deterrent to potential perpetrators.
“We must also continue to examine the attitudes and other factors which contribute to these crimes, and focus on challenging these through prevention and campaigning initiatives.”
Rape and Abuse Support Aberdeen – which offers a range of services to victims of sexual crimes, including advocacy – confirmed there had been an increase in the number of victims contacting its counsellors.
Jan Melia, manager of the charity, said: “It’s hard to say whether there’s an increase because people are becoming more confident about speaking out or whether it’s because there’s an increase in sex crimes.
“I think cases like Jimmy Savile have increased awareness and encouraged people to come forward and that’s a good thing.”
The full report will be discussed by the city council’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee.
Committee convener, Neil Cooney, said the local community safety partnership was doing all it could to address the “worrying trend”.
He said: “Most of the areas in the report have seen improvements, but this is a statistic we are aware of.
“It’s a worrying trend and one we are trying to tackle at a partnership level.”