Rape cases nearly double in Boston zone

Boston police say the spike in District B-2 is probably the result of more cases being reported, after a year in which the opposite occurred.

But women’s safety advocates say that any assault is one too many and that the reported cases still do not reflect the true extent of the problem.

They encouraged victims to be vigilant about reporting sexual crimes.

There were 48 such cases this year through Sept. 13, compared with 25 through the same date in 2008. The majority of those cases were acquaintance assaults, rather than assaults in which victims were attacked while walking on streets, in parks, or other public areas by unknown assailants, according to members of Boston police sexual assault unit. There have been about eight of those cases reported this year in the district.

Lieutenant George Juliano, commander of the Boston Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, said the rise in cases is probably the result of increased reporting, rather than a rise in crime.

“It can be somewhat misleading, because there was also a drop in 2008 when compared with prior years,’’ he said.

The number of reported cases so far this year is consistent with annual figures before 2008, he added.

“There could be several reasons why the number of cases in 2008 dipped so low, and it could simply be a matter of people not reporting assaults,’’ Juliano said. “Frankly, if the numbers go up, I’m doing a better job.’’

Captain Paul Russell, the district commander, said: “We’re doing our best to have an impact on this community, to provide a safe environment for all residents. We’ve been working with some groups, such as Jane Doe, and going into area bars as part of an ongoing educational program aimed at eliminating acquaintance rapes.’’

Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, agreed that the difference between the 2008 and 2009 figures may be a case of heightened reporting.

“Anyway, one case is too many,’’ she said, adding that reported cases “are always only a fraction of what’s going on.’’

National reporting statistics indicate that only about half of cases get reported, a figure that is still significantly higher than in the early 1990s, when only about 16 percent of cases were reported, she said.

“There has been a lot of work done to ensure victim’s privacy and to create a knowledgeable and compassionate response by law enforcement,’’ Scaramella said.

“The efforts by advocacy groups to partner with police and the community have helped victims understand they have options, that they can report.’’

Citywide, since 2000, the number of rape and attempted rape cases hit a high of 469 in 2002 and a low of 282 last year.

With three months remaining, Juliano projected, there will be more than 340 cases for 2009.

District C-11 in Dorchester has the second-highest number of reported rapes and attempted rapes this year through Sept. 13, with 23.