COURT statistics show that most cases of rape involve perpetrators known to their victims.

From June 2006 to December 2007, the High Court heard 12 cases of serious sexual crimes including rape, attempted rape and unnatural sex.

The offenders knew their victims in 10 cases.

And these were only the cases that came to light.

Out of 47 cases of sexual offences heard in the High Court between 2003 and 2007, 21 or 44.7 per cent involved victims aged below 14.