A SHOCKING 50 per cent rise in reported incidents of rape and sexual assault has taken place in Poole and Bournemouth in a year.

But the Dorset Police officer with responsibility for tackling sexual violence and domestic abuse, who is involved in Dorset’s first conference on sexual violence against women and girls on Thursday, sees that as positive.

“The important thing is we have seen a significant increase in reporting of sexual violence and domestic abuse in Dorset,” said DCI Jez Noyce, pictured inset.

“That’s in common with the rest of the country.

“I am encouraged about that, it means people are confident in coming forward.

We have got better as a police organisation in investigating that and looking after victims.”

Figures for Bournemouth showed Dorset Police dealt with 175 incidents of rape and sexual assault in 2013, which rose to 284 in 2014.

In Poole there were 94 in 2013 and 121 in 2014. Overall that is a 50.56 per cent rise.

A quarter of victims in Bournemouth and nearly half in Poole were aged 17 or under.

The Safer Poole Partnership conference at Lighthouse on Thursday includes nationally renowned speakers, and survivors, who will address more than 1,000 delegates, including police officers from Dorset and neighbouring forces.

The event marks International Women’s Day on March 8 and comes against the backdrop of the appalling revelations of the full extent of the abuse by Jimmy Savile.

Among the speakers will be Commander Peter Spindler the Metropolitan Police’s head of specialist crime investigations and former national lead for Operation Yewtree, the investigation into sexual abuse by Savile.

“It’s really important for men to realise ‘no’ is ‘no’ and consent is all important,” said DCI Noyce.

He hopes that the conference will help change attitudes and encourage more people to come forward and speak out.

“People who are aware of sexual violence going on, whether that is in institutions or organisations, they must come forward,” he said.

“They must report that to the police. Everything will be treated in confidence. People will be treated sensitively.

“Attitudes have changed in the police, for the better. That reflects attitudes in society as a whole.

“I think that’s why it’s really important for conferences like this to get publicity and reach out to people,” he said.

If you have suffered sexual violence of abuse there is help available from Dorset Rape Crisis – 01202 308840 (office hours) or website dorsetrapecrisis.org n Dorset Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) – 0845 519 8638.

In an emergency – if a crime is in progress or life is in danger – call 999.

Four local survivors have waived their anonymity and bravely spoken out about the sexual abuse and violence they have suffered at the hands of partners, friends or family.

JOOLS’ STORY

NOW a mother and grandmother Jools, 55, lived at Upton as a child with her parents and two brothers.

Her mother, who worked as housekeeper to a local farmer, fell pregnant and her parents split up.

When she was seven an argument resulted in the farmer threatening to leave and go back to his wife and she begged him to stay, which he did.

“He spent three years grooming me,” she said. “From the age of seven my normal day was I would get up at 5.30am, pack the Land Rover with feed and he would drive from where we lived to Corfe Mullen where he had fields and we would feed the stock.

“We would go on to West Moors, feed the animals, and he would force me to have sex with him in the Land Rover.

“That went on until the day before I was 18.

“I would go to school and the same thing happened after school.”

Social services visited and the truant officer. “The people in authority would come and visit and have a cup of milky coffee and a cake and go,” she said an dadded that the abuse only stopped when she left home.

In 2006 she started therapy for rape trauma syndrome and is now a Gestalt counsellor, helping otherss.

Of the conference she said: “My hope is that more survivors will come forward.”

TASHA’S STORY

Nineteen-year-old Tasha C from Poole was raped when she was 17 and went to the police, who did nothing about it.

“It was my word against his. They said there was not enough evidence to support me.”

She said: “He might not be on the sex offenders register but he’s known to the police.

“It doesn’t mean he’s safe because he didn’t go to court or anything.

“If I hadn’t gone to the police how do I know he’s not tried it before?

“It’s really important for people to speak out and go forward to the police.

“I feel really strongly about it. I want to help other people. I want to turn a negative experience into something as positive as it can be.”

She said: “Other people think it’s always the victim’s fault.

“That’s not true.”

She has received many messages from people either not believing her or blaming her.

“When people don’t believe you or judge you for it, you feel more trapped,” said Tasha, who had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

“I froze when I was raped,” she said. “You hear about people being raped and murdered.

“It’s disgusting but sometimes you have to let them do it to get away.”

SAM’S STORY

Twenty-two year-old Sam from Poole was in a relationship for two-and-a-half years, which was fine for the first year.

“He was brought up in care. I wanted to help him,” she said. “I wanted to change his life.”

She fell pregnant after a year and that was when things began to change.

He became controlling, started referring to her as “his” and would not let her have a phone or a house key.

“I was eight weeks pregnant when he raped me for the first time. I thought I had to keep going. I had to protect the baby.”

But things got worse and he started using handcuffs on her and knives, kept in the bedroom, holding the point to her.

After the baby was born he was OK for the first five weeks but then he raped her again and said: “Same again tomorrow”.

She recalls feeling sick every day and never leaving the baby alone with him.

Then he raped a complete stranger.

Not knowing what he had done, she finished with him and sent him away.

The next day the police came. He had again used handcuffs and knives.

He was jailed for 10 years – not for what he did to his partner, but for raping a stranger.

“I thought rape was when you go out and rape a stranger. I never realised what he was doing to me was rape,” she said.

Sam will also be reading a poem that she wrote and wants the conference to get the message out about what rape is.

She is already helping as a volunteer with Dorset Police’s victim bureau.

ALYSHA’S STORY

Poole born and bred Alysha, 25, went to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Bournemouth to report childhood sexual violence.

“It took me over 10 years to talk,” she said.

She was referred to Dorset Rape Crisis, who helped her through the process of reporting the abuse to the police.

“I had to wait a year for my court appearance at the crown court.”

But she did not get the result she wanted.

“That’s hard for anyone to get through. For a while I did blame the jury,” she said.

“Most of the reason you don’t come forward is because it will tear your family apart.

“That’s why I never came forward. I didn’t want to destroy my family overnight.”

Of the conference she said: “I thought what better way to make everybody more aware of what’s really going on.

“I don’t think it’s talked about. So many people just don’t come forward.”

At the end of the conference Alysha will be reading a poem she wrote. She said by speaking out she hopes to be able to help other people.

“I hope it makes people speak up earlier. The longer you leave it the less likely you are to have a result.”