Conviction rate in sex cases 13 per cent

Only 13 per cent of sexual violation cases reported to police end in a conviction, the first study of its kind in New Zealand has found.

The study, published by the Ministry of Women's Affairs, found that offences had been committed in two-thirds of the 1955 sexual violation cases reported to police between July 2005 and December 2007.

But suspects were identified for only 55 per cent of the cases and only 31 per cent went to court.

The study is the first to establish conviction rates since 1983 and found a rate comparable with other countries.

Dr Kim McGregor, of Rape Prevention Education, said a separate survey in 2006 found that only 9 per cent of all sexual offences were reported to the police, making the conviction rate even lower.

The research was commissioned by the last Government as part of the work of a taskforce on sexual violence, which finally reported to Justice Minister Simon Power in June.

It also follows an inquiry into police practices arising from the Louise Nicholas case, which ended in the acquittal of senior police officers on sex abuse charges.

Police Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls said the police were making changes in handling sexual abuse cases as a result of that inquiry.

"We have a specialist adult sexual assaults unit and have invested in more training in sexual assault interviewing," he said.

The study found that most victims of sexual violation were young, with a median age of 23. The median age of offenders was 31. Europeans accounted for 49 per cent of offenders and 61 per cent of victims. Maori were 30 per cent of offenders and 27 per cent of victims.

A third of the victims were, or had been, the offenders' partners, another third were known to the offenders as friends, relatives or workmates, 15 per cent had just met the offenders within the previous 24 hours, and only 16 per cent were strangers.

Police investigations found 8 per cent of the complaints were false.

Dr McGregor said this contrasted with a police officer quoted by the researchers as saying that 60 to 70 per cent of sexual assault claims were false.

"Survivors are fearful of not being believed," she said. "If that quote reflects a proportion of police views, then that is a great concern."

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ACC STICKS WITH ABUSE PROPOSAL

Counsellors say the Accident Compensation Corporation has refused to budge from its plan to require sex-abuse victims to prove that they have mental illnesses before getting ACC-funded counselling.

Dr Kim McGregor and other members of Te Ohaakii a Hine, the National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together, met ACC medical adviser Dr Peter Jansen in Auckland on Wednesday to seek changes to a new "clinical pathway" to be implemented on October 12.

Dr McGregor said Dr Jansen was unmoving on the planned linking of funding for sexual abuse counselling to mental conditions. "They won't shift on ... the need to provide a clear causal link between sexual abuse and mental injury."