An agency working to stop sexual violence says not all complaints are taken seriously by the police.
Police made the comment that they do while releasing their recorded crime statistics for the year to June.
The figures for the financial year show a 10.8% rise in recorded sexual offending.
Police believe it's because people have more confidence and trust in them.
They say they take all complaints of sexual violence seriously.
But Kim McGregor from Rape Prevention Education says this doesn't always happen.
She says a mother rang a police station recently and said her daughter had been raped.
Ms McGregor says the officer said the 16-year-old probably regretted sex and not to bother going to the police station.
She says a complaint is being prepared about the 16-year-old's treatment.
Police say they cannot respond to the individual claim without more information.
