After one year since its establishment, the Special Victims Unit SVU of the Royal Grenada Police Force is reporting a 26% reduction in the number of reports of sexual assault in the country, compared to 2018.
The unit was launched last year following widespread concern with increasing sexual assaults and related crime.
Speaking on the mid-morning buzz, inspector Andrea Noel Victor says the SVU, together with other departments of the RGPF, continue to face many challenges, however it has managed to make significant strides which has resulted in the decrease.
She says while in 2018 there were 168 sexual violence incidents reported, in 2019 it dropped to 142 and from the 142 incidents there have been 133 arrests made.
Inspector Noel-Victor attributes this achievement to the assistance from the public and swift action by the court. With increased advocacy, she says people are now more aware of their rights and where help can be garnered. The Inspector of Police also believes that people are more confident in the justice system thus incidents of sexual violence has fallen dramatically.
