According to the newspaper, The Independent, the number of British people raped or sexually assaulted abroad increased last year, official figures show.
Greece, Spain and Turkey, which constitute popular destinations for young Britons, saw the most requests for consular assistance from victims of sexual attacks.
As the Foreign Office Statistics show, a total of 310 Britons requested consular assistance after a sexual attack in the period 2012/2013, with 138 saying they had been raped and 172 sexually assaulted. That was up from 281 (127 rapes and 154 sex assaults) in 2011/2012, a rise of 9 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
The figures in the British Behavior Abroad Report 2013 showed there were 19,000 requests for help overall, a drop of 3 per cent.
“I am deeply concerned to see an increase in the number of reported rape and sexual assault cases involving British people,” Foreign Office Minister, Mark Simmonds said.
“The priority for our consular staff is the safety and well-being of British travelers and we will continue to work, including with other governments and tour operators, to help to prevent further cases and provide all possible support for victims,” he added.
Simmonds concluded, “This support includes explaining local procedures, accompanying people to the police station, helping them deal with local authorities and medical staff and contacting friends and family at home if that is wanted.”
The FCO said that alcohol “continues to be a major factor” in cases involving young people in the Balearic Islands, Turkey and the Greek islands.
The Independent writes that Spain had the highest number of reported sexual attacks, recording 39, with almost half of them in the Balearic Islands, which includes Ibiza and Majorca. A total of 3,599 Britons requested help after being hospitalized last year, the report showed.
Spain, with more than three-quarters of a million British residents, was the country with the most requests for consular assistance at 4,658, down from 5,405 the previous year.
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