Vancouver police see 129% increase in sex assaults by strangers in July alone

Vancouver police say they have noticed a “significant increase” in reported sex assaults recently.

Police said in July alone they saw a 129 per cent increase in stranger sex assaults reported to them, compared to July 2019.

1:16 Surge in stranger sex assaults warrants Vancouver police warning

In particular, there has been a 167 per cent increase in sexual assaults related to the Granville Entertainment District when compared to the three-year average for the month of July. This is obviously very concerning,” Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver police said in a release.

Police said since July 1, there have been eight incidents related to the Granville Entertainment District, ranging from unwanted touching (groping) to forced sexual intercourse. In July alone, there have been 16 reported stranger sexual assaults throughout Vancouver, compared to 10 in July of 2020 and seven in July of 2019, police said.

1:16 Vancouver police investigating random downtown assault

Police have now re-launched the “Hands off!” campaign on social media, which was first launched in 2019. The campaign brings awareness to the fact that groping is a crime.

View image in full screen

“We know that offences against a person, specifically sexual offences, are vastly underreported,” Visintin said. “Our officers are very alive to the sensitivity around these types of files and will do anything they can to uphold the integrity of the survivor.”