Rapes, Assaults Fuel 1991 Surge in Violent Crimes

An estimated 59% surge in rapes and attempted rapes and a substantial increase in assaults spurred a dramatic rise in violent crime last year, according to a Justice Department survey of crime victims released Sunday.

Preliminary figures show there were 2,612,150 completed violent crimes last year, up 7.9% from an estimated 2,421,530 the previous year. Including attempted violent crimes, the total was 6,427,480 last year, up 7% from 6,008,790 in 1990.

But department officials cautioned that the percentage increases could be misleading because they translate into only marginal rises in crime rates.

The Justice Department noted that its estimate of the total number of crimes and attempted crimes last year--35 million--is well below the 41.4 million of 1981.

Still, the 6.4 million total completed and attempted violent crimes is the third highest since 1973.

The bureau’s annual National Crime Survey estimates there were 31.3 attempted or completed violent crimes per 1,000 people last year. That is up from 29.6 per 1,000 in 1990, but it is well below the record rate of 35.3 per 1,000 in 1981. These offenses include rape, robbery and assault, but not murder.

As for rapes and attempted rapes, there were 207,610 in 1991, up 59% from 130,260 the previous year. The rate of such assaults was 1.0 per 1,000, compared to 0.6 per 1,000 the previous year. Rapes and attempted rapes had occurred at or near the rate of 1.0 per 1,000 people during 12 of the last 18 years.