CHESHIRE police are urging party-goers to be aware of the dangers of rape and sexual assault during the festive season.
The Christmas period is a challenging one for officers as they deal with an increase in the number of rape and sexual assaults taking place.
Over the past few years in the run-up to Christmas, the number of rapes reported from October to December has increased from 42 in 2010 to 85 in 2011.
This increase could suggest there is a greater public confidence in reporting serious sexual offences to the constabulary.
To coincide with the ‘Rape Shatters Lives – there is no excuse’ campaign, Cheshire police are appealing to people to think about their motives for committing sexual offences as they deal with offenders who use a variety of excuses to explain their reasoning when they are arrested for rape.
Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie said: “Our message is clear – anyone who uses force to have sex with another person is committing a criminal offence.
“Everyone has the right to say no to sex – without consent, sex with another person is rape.
“We are warning potential offenders this Christmas that there is no excuse for rape and we want to reassure victims of rape that we are committed to getting justice for them.
“Rape shatters lives, it is a distressing act and officers, when they are investigating allegations of rape, will not accept appalling excuses from offenders for their actions.
“The law is clear – no means no.”
