Increasing rate of sexual assaults by adults appearing before the Assize Court of Rennes, France, during 1987-1997.

In this paper, we analyse all the sentences handed out by the Assize Court of Rennes in France, in the last decade. A recent increase in the number of sexual offences has been observed. An increase in the number of cases of incest has also been noted. This paper analyses the sex ratio, the age of the victim, the association with other violence and the relationship between the victim and his or her aggressor. The outcomes of the trials are discussed.