Sexual assaults in Williamsburg have spiked—16 rapes have been reported in 2011, compared to four at the same time last year, the Brooklyn Paper reported. The incidents have occurred all over the neighborhood, and in most cases the victim knew her attacker, according to police. Councilmember Diana Reyna told the paper that an uptick in reported rapes doesn’t necessarily mean that the actual number of sexual assaults have increased. “It suggests that those who are being assaulted are coming forward,” she said. Other kinds of crime are either the same or down from last year.
Except, that is, for hate crimes against homosexuals, reports of which are also up in North Brooklyn, according to advocates.