North Carolina police department concerned by spike in child sex assault cases

A North Carolina police department says it is concerned about a spike in child sexual assault cases seen in the past year.

“Detectives have experienced a 210% increase in sex assaults involving children since 2020,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in a statement on Thursday.

The department believes the increase is a result of school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a delay in the crimes being reported.

“Due to the recent pandemic, COVID-19 removed children from student activities, thus taking them away from schools and places with a trusted adult,” the department said.

There have already been 31 child sexual assault cases reported to the department in 2021. The number of cases at the same time in 2020 was only 10.

“CMPD hopes to see more cases reported sooner now that children are returning to school and have the resources such as guidance counselors and trusted adults to report such acts,” the statement reads.

There have been widespread concerns during the lockdowns of the past year about potential increases in violence and drug use in homes.

Fatal drug overdoses in Washington went up more than 30 percent during the pandemic.