[Wamvan] Help with article research for sexual assault rates for Vancouver?

[Natalie Hill]

Here is a story CBC did when the 2009 crime stats were released (in January
2010).  They actually reference the spike in sexual assaults in the lead.  I
found print coverage of this story to be better this way, while TV and radio
coverage was abysmal (mostly about how "all violent crime was down").
Unable to find any of the latter at this time.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/01/20/bc-vancouver-2009-crime-statistics.html

I've also attached the document from the VPD website on 2010 crime stats
(released earlier this year).  Interestingly, when you look up the press
release and document for the 2009 crime rates on the VPD website (the report
that shows a 20% increase), it comes up in illegible internet-coding mumble
jumble (or at least it is for me on this computer).  Not formulating a
conspiracy theory about it or anything.... just sayin'.

Here is a link to another release/report they did sexual assaults
specifically, September 2010:
http://vpdreleases.icontext.com/2010/09/27/sexual-assault-statistics-report/.
Report in full is also attached.  This report attempts to accurately reflect
actually occurring rates of sexual assault (rather than just the reported
ones) - I don't understand how this is impossible.  It also gives a summary
of very small increases in sexual assault from 2008 to 2010 (it says the
"bottom line: up 6%/9%"), but if you read the report in full, sexual
assaults went up 40%, even 50% in some areas of Vancouver (DTES and
Kits/Fairview respectively).

It would be Interesting to find out how many sexual offences are hidden by
being lumped into the category of the more "serious" offence (like robbery
or murder).  From what I understand rapes and sexual assaults often go
unrecorded when police and the legal system put another crime as priority.



On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 3:43 AM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I've heard that the latest crime report shows that rates of sexual assault
> in Vancouver have increased more than 20% but after Googling, I can't find
> any articles on the subject. Has anyone seen anything on the rise in sexual
> assault in Vancouver?
>
> Someone has also mentioned to me that the media has downplayed the rise in
> sexual assault by reporting that "major crimes" have gone down in Vancouver
> (not counting rape as a major crime). Any examples of particularly bad media
> coverage?
>
> I'm hoping to write a media critique.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Joanna
>
>
> --
> Joanna Chiu
>
> Freelance Writer
> joannachiu.com <http://www.joannachiu.com/>
> twitter.com/joannachiu
>
> Organizer, WAM! Vancouver
> wamvancouver.wordpress.com
> twitter.com/wamvancity
>
>
>
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>
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