Increase in Northeast Area Rapes Is Baffling : Crime: Sixty-one attacks have been reported so far this year, although sexual assaults have declined citywide.

Rape in northeastern Los Angeles has increased fivefold this year, despite a decrease in rapes citywide, police said.

The 61 rapes reported so far this year in areas such as Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Silver Lake and around Griffith Park have baffled police officials and rape crisis counselors.

“In the last three or four years we have had one or two a month, but lately we have had as many as 10 to 12 a month,” said Detective Jerry Rowe of the Northeast Division’s sex crimes unit. In August alone, 12 rapes or attempted rapes were reported in the division.

Meanwhile, rape in the city as a whole has declined, said Sgt. Ted Ashby, a community relations officer for the Northeast Division. In 1980, Los Angeles had a total of 2,838 reported rapes; in 1988, there were 1,998.

Ashby said that even when Richard Ramirez, the so-called “Night Stalker,” was loose, the northeast area did not have as many rapes as it has had recently.

“Actually the number went down because people were more aware and more cautious,” Ashby said.

The rise in the northeast area’s rape rate appears to be unrelated to this summer’s rash of killings and armed robberies, which police attribute largely to gang activity. Northeast Division officials began noticing the jump in March when seven attacks were reported.

Police haven’t detected any pattern to the rapes and said they don’t believe a serial rapist is involved. Developing a theory as to the cause of the increase is complicated because the rapes are unusual. According to police, past rapes in the Northeast Division have usually involved a family member. But the latest attacks have been committed by strangers or casual acquaintances.

An increase in rape generally cannot be attributed to any one cause, said Gloria De La Cruz, a clinical social worker who has worked with the East Los Angeles Rape Hot Line. Many things can trigger an increase in rapes, but factors such as increased drug use, a lack of services for those suffering emotional and mental problems and changes in social values may be behind the increases in the northeast area, she said.

Pent-up rage and frustration that would normally be suppressed can surface with drug use, De La Cruz said. That rage can lead to rape when a person does not want money but instead wishes to devalue something.

Because there is no pattern to the rapes, police have had only partial success in suppressing the crime. Police have decided that seven of this year’s 61 reported rapes were not criminal attacks. Of the remaining 54 cases, 28, or slightly more than half, have been solved, police said.

“If we had a specific suspect we could put a composite drawing together and put out flyers in the community and at the malls, but not in this case,” Ashby said.

Ashby said the Police Department has notified Neighborhood Watch and other community groups of the increase to alert residents to be more cautious.

Although the recent rapes involved women between the ages of 14 and 60, most of the victims were young women and police will be advising them to be more aware of their surroundings, Ashby said.

Rowe said, “My speculation is that it is summer and people are . . . out late and maybe a lot of women are letting their guard down.”

In some cases women have been walking late at night and have been pulled into cars just as they were nearing their homes, Rowe said. Several rapes have occurred in parks, but police believe that the park rapes were committed by different people.

Rowe said women are being asked to avoid going out with men they do not know well and to avoid going out alone late at night.

Concerned that there may be more attacks that are not being reported, police--promising assistance at every step of the investigation--urged rape victims to come forward.

After completing initial reports, police take rape victims to the hospital for treatment and an examination, Rowe said. Officers will also accompany the victim to the district attorney’s office and to court.

“It’s not like other cases where they go through it on their own,” Rowe said. “We are there with them, and it’s more one-on-one.”

Other agencies also assist rape victims.

The East Los Angeles Rape Hot Line provides 24-hour phone counseling in English or Spanish, said Carol Marron, a hot line assistant.

If a woman reports a rape, the hot line can provide a volunteer who will help her file a police report and accompany her to the hospital and court, Marron said.

The hot line also provides free counseling at its center twice a week and referrals for women who cannot go to the hot line’s offices, Marron said. The center’s address is not publicized, but appointments can be made by calling 800-282-6231.

The most important aspect of treatment is the emergency medical care immediately after the rape, said Gail Abarbanel, director of the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center. The sooner a victim is treated, the less likely complications such as venereal disease or pregnancy will occur, she said.

Some victims will not seek treatment because they do not detect physical injuries, but they should still go to a hospital emergency department, Abarbanel said.

“It’s really important to be examined where people are trained and experienced in the treatment of rape victims,” Abarbanel said, adding that a medical examination ensures that vital evidence is obtained.

California law prohibits hospitals from charging rape victims for the cost of collecting evidence if the attack is reported to police, according to the center’s pamphlet, “Taking Action: What to Do if You Are Raped.”

Rape victims who file reports and cooperate in the investigation are eligible for further assistance under the state’s Victims/Witness Assistance Program. The program is run locally by both the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and the Los Angeles city attorney’s offices, said Tammie Fagan of the city attorney’s Victims Assistance Program.

The program, which assists all crime victims, can also help explain court procedures, provide aid and emotional support during court proceedings, assist with transportation to court and help explain legal procedures.

Coordinators can help victims find counseling and file claims with the state to help pay for medical treatment and other care required as a result of the attack.

RAPES IN 1990

Number of rape cases reported to the Northeast Division of the Los Angeles Police Departmentfor 1990:

January: 4

February: 1

March: 7

April: 12

May: 12

June: 5

July: 7

August: 12