Dacorum has the highest recorded number of rapes in Hertfordshire, according to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) by KINGSnews.
A total of 110 rapes were recorded in the borough between January and December 2024.
The data also revealed that Dacorum had the third highest number of sexual assault offences in Hertfordshire, with 94 cases recorded last year.
Only 38 individuals were arrested for rape and only 28 were arrested for sexual assault.
The stark difference is reflected across Hertfordshire, as for the 816 sexual assaults recorded, only 233 individuals were arrested.
For the 868 rapes recorded, there were only 314 arrests made.
Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Badat, head of adult public protection for Hertfordshire Police, said: “While numbers of crimes can fluctuate, they are influenced by a variety of factors, including the borough of Dacorum’s larger population than most areas. We would anticipate that this would result in more offences being recorded.
“We are committed to tackling sexual violence and we take every report seriously.
“In Dacorum, we have deployed Project Vigilant operations to prevent sexual offences by tackling predatory individuals who use the night-time economy to target vulnerable women.
“Most sexual offences take place between people known to each other. We have specialist units that work to investigate these crimes sensitively and to protect victims. We work with other services to ensure every victim receives wraparound care.
“Our teams also work to hold perpetrators to account and we work with partners including the Crown Prosecution Service to increase the numbers of charges against suspects. Arrests are only made where it is necessary to support the investigation or where there is a risk of further harm, and the number of arrests does not necessarily correlate with charges being brought against suspects.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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