Police receive a report of a sex assault in Sunderland every other day, new figures reveal.
From January 2006 to July 2008, detectives in the city received 669 reports of sexually-motivated attacks.
The figures were obtained from Northumbria Police under the Freedom of Information Act.
Although there is nothing to suggest Sunderland h
as a worse problem than other UK cities, police say they are working to support victims and catch those responsible.
Meanwhile, those dealing with victims on the front line said today they feared many women do not report attacks.
Detective Chief Inspector Max Black, who runs counselling service Reach (Rape, Examination Advice Counselling and Help) in the North East, said of all the women who seek help from the service about 50 per cent have not reported their ordeal to police.
He said: "I know a lot of women feel reluctant to report sexual offences or make a formal report to police.
"A lot of the clients we support, about 50 per cent, make it quite clear they don't want a formal investigation for a variety of reasons.
"Sometimes it's a lack of faith in the criminal justice system or it may be they are embarrassed or ashamed."
But police in Sunderland today urged any victims to come forward.
Superintendent Alan Veitch, of Sunderland Area Command, said: "Whenever a sexual assault is reported we have two primary concerns - ensuring that the victim is given full support from ourselves and our partners, and that these incidents are thoroughly investigated to ensure the offender is found and brought to justice."
Dr Jan Wellbury is responsible for examining women and men who come to Reach in Sunderland. She believes many victims fear they will be blamed for being sexually assaulted, which can put a stop to them reporting their attack.
"Many people who have been raped feel their lives will change pretty much forever if they speak out because of other people's opinions," she said.
"There always seems to be an element of blame on the victims and most women don't want their lives to be changed in that way."
And Dr Wellbury said during the 30 years she has been working with victims, she has noticed a drastic change in the number of women and men who have been drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and taking drugs.
"We always check how much they have had to drink and whether they have taken any drugs," she added.
"And it always surprises me now how much many people have had.
"People are drinking vast amounts and often say they've had a couple of lines of cocaine or been smoking cannabis as if it's normal. It's really scary."
The figures, obtained by the Echo under the Freedom of Information Act, also reveal that between January 2006 and July 2008, 18 victims withdrew their allegations, meaning they no longer wanted to pursue the matter.
DCI Black said: "We would always encourage victims to seek support and report the matter to police. "
- Reach can be contacted by phoning 565 3725, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. For more information, log on to www.reachcentres.co.uk.
TABLE
2006 - 271 reports of attacks
2007 - 241 reports of attacks
2008, January to July - 157 attacks