Recorded rapes in UK rise by almost a third despite overall fall in crime

The number of rapes recorded by British police has soared by nearly a third even as overall crime reports dropped to their lowest level in over three decades.

Experts attribute the spike in part to an increased willingness of victims to come forward following a police investigation into late television presenter and sexual predator Jimmy Savile.

A total of 22,116 incidents of rape were recorded in the year to June, a rise of 29 per cent from the previous year, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

"If the increase in reporting of rape to the police is due to survivors feeling more able to come forward and report what has happened to them, then that is positive," said Liz McKean, co-director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

Overall crime figures, however, dropped over the year.

There were an estimated 7.1 million incidents - a 16 per cent fall from the previous year and the lowest figure since the crime survey reports began in 1981. Violent crime was down 23 per cent.