There’s work to be done in addressing Utah’s increasing rates of one particular violent crime.

According to new data released last week by the Utah Department of Public Safety in its annual Crime in Utah report for 2017, the overall number of violent crimes decreased by 8.31 percent — fantastic news. Except, out of all the offenses in the violent crimes category, one actually increased.

Rape.

The state as a whole saw an 11.36 percent increase of rape in 2017.

This data only reinforces reports in previous years that concluded rape is the only violent crime in Utah that occurs at a higher rate than the rest of the nation.

If you spread out the annual ratio of reported rapes in 2017 to a fixed time interval, the frequency of rape in Utah in 2017 occurred every 6.25 hours, according to the report.

Agencies reported 431 total sex offenses in Davis County and 321 total sex offenses in Weber County. As the largest area in the state, Salt Lake City reported the largest total, with a shocking 1,733 sex offenses.

Of the forcible sexual offenses committed across the state, only 21.57 percent of those were cleared, while nonforcible sexual offenses were cleared at a rate of 29.68 percent. An offense can be cleared by an arrest, when a person is charged with an offense and turned over to the court for prosecution or summons, or clearance by exception.

Forcible sexual offenses have the lowest percentage of clearance, with nonforcible sexual offenses the second lowest, out of the entire category of crimes against persons — which also includes assault, homicide and kidnapping/abduction.

If these new statistics do not alarm you, then we’re not sure what would.

The fact that our leaders and state government seem lax in approaching this rise in violent crime, that is documented as reaching far less resolve than other crimes, perhaps speaks to an attitude that no longer belongs in Utah.

Take for example the report in Tuesday’s Standard-Examiner regarding the slow pace at which sexual assault investigations take place and the state governmental immunity law, which some believe unfairly shields public agencies and employees from being held accountable for causing harm.

Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, of Clearfield, agreed to assist a woman, Brandie Page, who was working to get justice in her friend’s unsolved sexual assault investigation. Page found evidence indicating that DNA samples from the assault were not sent to the state crime lab for testing, as detectives assured her had been done.

Lisonbee and Page testified Aug. 15 before the Legislature’s Judiciary Interim Committee, taking aim at the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah.

The law says “each governmental entity and each employee of a governmental entity are immune from suit for any injury that results from the exercise of a governmental function.” It does provide narrow avenues for a litigant to win damages, but no punitive damages are allowed and judgments are subject to caps.

Referring to the Clearfield rape case, Lisonbee told the Judiciary Committee the immunity law “has an extreme chilling effect” that deters attempts by those wronged to seek accountability in civil court.

We owe justice to the increasing number of Utahns who have been violated by this violent crime. It serves no one to grant immunity when wrongs have been done. Survivors deserve immediate collaboration between the public and government to ensure they receive as much justice as is able.

We applaud Rep. Lisonbee and wish more state officials would give this rise in crime the appropriate attention it deserves and requires. To do that, constituents need to reach out to their elected representatives.

If you or someone you love is in trouble, call this 24/7 hotline:

Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line

1-888-421-1100

Newsletter