There have been more sexual assaults in Oxford so far this year than in the whole of 2014

The number of reported sexual assaults on young women in Oxford this year is already higher than last year’s total.

Figures given to The Tab show that in 2014, 17 people aged between 18 and 24 were sexually assaulted in Oxford city centre.

But the number for January to October this year has already shot up to 18.

The alarming figures come just two days after a 24-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a man after leaving Plush on Saturday night.

They call into question the effectiveness of the “high visibility” police patrols that have been taking place in the city centre.

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Second-year Medic Zara Markovic-Obiago said: “That’s a frightening statistic, especially considering that the year isn’t even over yet.

“Sexual assault has always been a problem at Oxford, but this shows that current methods of prevention are not working as well as they could be.

“However, it’s worth remembering that these figures might reflect an increase in the number of people reporting sexual assaults, rather than the number taking place.”

Tiana Dias, co-chair of It Happens Here, a student-run organisation dedicated to raising awareness about sexual violence in Oxford, said: “The increase in occurrences of sexual assault is troubling, especially when we consider the extremely low rates of reporting.

“These statistics clearly show that we, as a community, need to educate ourselves about the importance of consent so that we can tackle this problem.

“The police need to re-evaluate the format of the reporting process.

“They also need to take significant steps to change the current methods that are being undertaken to prevent serious sexual assault, they are not nearly as effective as they should be.”

Women’s Campaign Officer Stephanie Kelley was not available for comment.