MORE than 1,000 women and girls in Sussex reported rape in a year, police figures show.

Of the 1,679 rape cases recorded in the county in the year to March 2020, 89 per cent involved female victims, as did 78 per cent of 1,884 sexual assaults dealt with by the force in that time.

There were almost 20,000 crimes flagged as domestic abuse by officers in that period – the equivalent of 11 in every thousand people being violently or psychologically abused by someone they know.

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The most recent official statistics at police force level also show 21 women and girls were killed in the area between April 2016 and March 2019.

According to a report from research and campaigning organisation Femicide Census, 30 of those killed in Sussex in the decade to 2018 were women and girls aged over 14, all of whom were killed by men.

It comes after the death of Sarah Everard triggered a public outcry about the safety of women and how offences against them are dealt with.

Home Office statistics show women are disproportionately impacted by sex crimes and are more likely to be victims of stalking, harassment and domestic abuse than men.

Domestic abuse has increased during the coronavirus lockdowns, but a Rape Crisis spokeswoman said: “Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic that long pre-exists Covid-19.

“In this country alone, it severely and negatively impacts millions of lives, communities and society as a whole – and it is deadly.

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“The vast majority of it is never reported to the police and when it is, it rarely ends in criminal justice being served.”

She called on society to come together to “end the narrative that tells women they are responsible for preventing male violence and instead tell perpetrators and potential perpetrators that we will not tolerate violence against women and girls any longer.”

Surveys suggest that women and girls are also regularly harassed in public, with a recent YouGov poll for UN Women finding that at least seven out of 10 in the UK had experienced sexual harassment on the street.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "Many women have experienced violence, in a wide variety of settings, and this is not acceptable.

"We have been listening to women who have come forward with details of their own experiences and we are determined to do all we can to keep them safe, and feeling safe.

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"Our proactive patrols and neighbourhood teams are constantly in communities, alert for suspicious activity and targeting offenders, and we have dedicated teams who support victims of domestic abuse, stalking and sexual offences.

"Our specialist investigators are working seven days a week with partners to safeguard and support vulnerable victims of sexual offences, detecting domestic abuse and other violent offenders and preventing further offending.

"Our investigators continue to track down and bring to justice some of the most violent and predatory offenders, and our officers and staff find great professional and personal satisfaction in protecting women and taking such criminals off the streets wherever possible.

"During lockdown we have worked in partnership with local authorities and other specialist services as we recognise that the home isn’t a safe place for everyone.

"In March last year we launched our Local Resolution Team, a team of 40 dedicated officers investigating reports of domestic abuse which have not come in on the 999 system. The scheme is proving successful and has received national praise.

"Other recent new activity has included engagement with people in shopping areas, and support to promote the roll out of 'Ask for Ani' the new domestic abuse codeword scheme to help victims access emergency support in the community.

"We actively encourage the reporting of all violent and sexual offences and further details are available on our website."