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Why did sexual assault reports spike in March 2021?
The number of sexual assault incidents recorded by NSW Police jumped dramatically in March 2021, up 46% from February 2021 and 65% from March 2020. The sharp increase most likely reflects a temporary increase in victim willingness to report sexual assault due to heightened public attention on sexual assault and consent (rather than an increase in prevalence). The spike aligns with saturated media coverage of a number of high profile sexual assault allegations which came to light in late February and March 2021.