RAPE offence increases in Devon and Cornwall are on a par with the national average, a senior force officer has announced.

Det Supt Keith Perkin, head of the region’s Public Protection Unit, was responding to a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary which revealed that 87 per cent of the increased reports nationally – between October 2012 and March 2015 – was as a result of Operation Yewtree involving sex abuse inquiries into shamed media personality Jimmy Savile.

Det Supt Perkin said Devon and Cornwall had not been immune to the rise and a percentage of the increased reports were influenced by this.

He said: ‘There are improved crime recording processes which have led to a reduction in what the report calls cancelled crimes.’

In 2010/11, some 14 per cent of recorded rapes were cancelled compared to six per cent now, a figure which reflected police recognition that victim support was as important as prosecuting offenders.

‘We accept that a number of victims want to report crime, be listened to and be supported but they do not necessarily want to follow the criminal justice route,’ explained Det Supt Perkin.

He added: ‘Over the last 18 months we have introduced dedicated sexual offences and domestic abuse investigation teams which work closely with partner agencies to provide victim support. Given this more sympathetic and professional approach, victims can be confident that if they come to us we will listen to them, take their concerns seriously and work with them, and other support agencies, to help them.

‘We would encourage all victims of crime to come forward and report it.’

Anyone not wishing to report an incident directly to police should make contact through a support agency via the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Unit website www.victimcaredevonandcornwall.org.uk/.

The HMIC report revealed that the proportion of rape reports to police that led to a charge fell sharply in 2014/15.

In England and Wales 12 per cent of reported rapes – where the alleged victim was an adult – led to a charge or summons. In the previous 12 months the figure was 17 per cent. The rate is almost double when the alleged victim is a child, with 23 per cent of reported rapes resulting in criminal action.

The latest set of figures present the most up-to-date picture of how rapes are dealt with across England and Wales.

An investigation by the multi-agency Rape Monitoring Group shows there were 19,316 rapes against adults, and 9,949 against children, reported to police during the year 2014/15.

In some areas, as many as 55 adults per 100,000 people told police they had been a victim of the serious sexual offence.