Cities Report a 16% Decline in Rapes, Defying Dire Warnings by Sexual Assault Activists

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

Cities Report a 16% Decline in Rapes, Defying Dire Warnings by Sexual Assault Activists

WASHINGTON / December 2, 2020 – The Major Cities Chiefs Association, representing the largest cities in the United States, has reported a 16% decline in rapes, compared to this time in 2019. In 2019, the number of rapes reported from January 1 to September 30 was 25,130, compared to 21,100 in 2020 (1). Even in smaller cities, the number of rapes fell by double-digits (2).

In spite of this, sexual assault and domestic violence groups continue to issue dire warnings of imminent increases of violence. The Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, for example, claims on its website that “COVID-19 will increase risk factors” for sexual/domestic violence (3).

Groups have been making such claims for a number of months:

In a Good Morning America interview, Scott Berkowitz, president of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, predicted, “I think that sexual assaults of children and intimate partners will be way up.” (4)

In April, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence sent a letter to Congress claiming, without evidence, “we are starkly reminded that ‘home’ is an unsafe place for those experiencing domestic violence, sexual violence, and child abuse.” The letter called for $100 million for sexual assault victims during the COVID-19 pandemic (5).

Activists have been making similar claims of an impending “spike” in domestic violence incidents, despite a lack of evidence from police departments (6). Some cities have reported declines ranging from 13% to 23% in domestic violence cases (7).

The recent “Family Life During a Pandemic” survey suggested that better partner relationships may explain the decline in sexual assault and domestic violence numbers. When asked whether the coronavirus pandemic “Has made me appreciate my partner more,” 56% of persons agreed, and only 10% disagreed. Likewise, 47% of persons agreed that the coronavirus, “Has deepened my commitment to my relationship,” while only 9% disagreed with the statement (8).

Regarding the current COVID relief bill discussions, the Coalition to End Domestic Violence urges lawmakers to not appropriate funds for organizations that make false claims about increasing numbers of sexual assaults or domestic violence incidents.

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