HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County Police reported a slight uptick in the number of rape cases its department has handled over the last two years.
CBS 6 compared data from Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield and Hanover County between 2023 and 2024.
Richmond, Chesterfield, and Hanover all saw a decrease in the number of rape cases handled by local law enforcement.
- Richmond Police reported 64 in 2023 and 52 in 2024, a 19% decrease.
- Chesterfield Police reported 87 in 2023 and 62 in 2024, a 28% decrease.
- Hanover Sheriff's Office reported 18 in 2023 and 5 in 2024, a 72% decrease.
But the numbers in Henrico went up slightly: 20 cases reported in 2023 to 24 in 2024, a 20% increase.
"As it pertains to rape, most of the time, it's never really unknown individuals committing this. Normally [it's] acquaintances, family members, things of that nature that are occurring," said Chief Eric English at a presentation earlier this week.
English said Henrico's "occurrence rates" for rapes were considered above the national average, sitting at 29% compared to 26.9%.
"Those that are not clear, we're continuing to work those cases as well, making sure we have all entities interviewed to try to bring a case forward for the court to be able to prosecute," English said.
Police said they're unable to identify trends or common causes linked to the slight rise.
"This sounds terrible to say, 24 is a low number," said Alexandria Wall with Safe Harbor, which serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in the county. "Which obviously, we want it to be zero, there are way more cases of domestic violence, and intimate violence, and sexual violence."
Wall said their domestic violence shelter is almost always at capacity.
Clients are not required to report to police. Walls said abuse, fear, lack of safe housing, and even distrust in the legal system often keeps them from doing so.
"Unfortunately, and I'll just say this is my personal opinion, I don't think they get, the abusers, get hard enough consequences, right? And sometimes, you know, if police do show up, lets say a call happens, and you are willing to share what happened in that day, but not everything else, they could get arrested and get bonded out that same, you know, that same evening," Wall said. "A lot of times too, after let's say they report, right, and they start the court process, so many times they pull it back."
Though the numbers may not paint the full picture of how many rape or sexual assault cases happened in Henrico or the other localities, Walls said the slight increase in cases reported in Henrico may indicate that the support systems for victims are working, encouraging them to report.
“If the rise is because people are becoming more comfortable sharing, coming forward, that would be a positive thing. And we know that Henrico does a very good job working with victims, so I think it could truly play a role in people feeling comfortable knowing that they will follow through and help them and take their victimization seriously," Wall said. “I was actually just recalling meeting with a victim not that long ago, and just the fear of reporting and not being believed and all these things, and me being able to talk through with her, and ensure her that, the Henrico Police, because they’re one of our number one partners, they do such a great job, they care, and they will take it seriously, made all the difference, and she was willing to report.”
Wall said victims can always get help without going to the police.
Anyone seeking assistance can call Safe Harbor at (804) 249-9470.
The Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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