Rise in sex attack reports from Brits Abroad

The number of Britons who seek help from the government after falling victim to sexual assault or rape while on holiday increased by 10% last year, official figures show.

Spain, Turkey and Greece received the most requests for consular assistance from victims of sex attacks, the Foreign Office statistics show.

The figures in the British Behaviour Abroad Report 2013 showed there were 19,000 requests for help overall, a drop of 3%.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds said: "I am deeply concerned to see an increase in the number of reported rape and sexual assault cases involving British people.

"The priority for our consular staff is the safety and well-being of British travellers and we will continue to work, including with other governments and tour operators, to help to prevent further cases and provide all possible support for victims.

"This support includes explaining local procedures, accompanying people to the police station, helping them deal with local authorities and medical staff and contacting friends and family at home if that is wanted."

In total, 310 Britons requested consular assistance after a sex attack in the 2012/2013 period covered by the report, with 138 saying they had been raped and 172 sexually assaulted.

That was up from 281 (127 rapes and 154 sex assaults) in 2011/2012.

Spain had the highest number of reported sex attacks with 39, with almost half of them in the Balearic Islands, which includes Ibiza and Majorca.

A total of 3,599 Britons requested help after being hospitalised last year, the report showed.

But the number of Britons requesting help after being arrested abroad for drug offences fell to 653, its lowest level for four years, the report showed, with a decrease of 34% since 2009/2010.

There was also a 21% drop in the total number of arrests over the same period from 6,919 to 5,435.

The number of Britons requesting aid after a death abroad was 6,193, down from 6237 the previous year, the report showed.