Police urging people to report sexual abuse after fall in calls

Police in Jersey are encouraging people to still report cases of sexual abuse to them, after a 'significant fall' since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The police say they and the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) remain fully operational, despite there being no reports of sexual offences to the force since the Stay Home order came into effect at the end of March. That compares to six reports to the police in April 2019.

The SARC says it has seen an 80% fall in reports with only three people using the service this month, compared with 20 in March.

Even though a lack of sexual abuse reports may seem like a good thing, experts say it is actually a major cause for concern.

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For anyone needing to contact the SARC, its 24 hour helpline is 01534 888222 or you can access its website for more details.

The police can be contacted on 01534 612612, or in an emergency on 999.

• ITV News speaks to Laura Osmand from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre...

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