Police officers will have to learn basic sign language if a draft policy aimed at encouraging rape victims to report the crimes is adopted. If approved, the policy will lead to measures being put in place to ensure that the police have the tools, training and expertise they need to help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.The policy draft stipulates that:Every officer manning a police station's charge office must be trained to assist victims of sexual assault and domestic violence;Officers must learn basic sign language so that they can assist hearing-impaired people; andTwo officers, specifically trained in dealing with sexual violence, be on stand-by at every police station.The policy will compel the police, when releasing the annual crime statistics, to give a breakdown not only of rapes but also of all other categories of sexual assault, and details of victims' gender and sexual orientation.The police will be compelled to record whether a victim had been granted a protection order when domestic violence crimes were committed.According to the 2013-2014 crime statistics presented in September, 62649 sexual offences recorded in South Africa, a decrease from the previous financial year, during which 66387 were reported.But gender-rights experts say the decrease, and the lack of a breakdown of crimes involving domestic violence and sexual assault, point to under-reporting.Sanja Bornman, of the Women's Legal Centre, said the draft policy would work if all relevant departments in the criminal justice system co-operated."What victims need most is access to information about the criminal justice system and how it works; to be constantly updated on their cases; access to quality psycho-social services and a reliable complaints mechanism that they can turn to if they are not satisfied with the service they receive."Bornman said the biggest reason for under-reporting was the secondary trauma victims experienced when they encountered unfriendly police officers and a criminal justice system that was not geared to helping victims."There were 66000 sexual offences in 2014 but we do not know what proportion was rape, how many went to court as opposed to complaints being withdrawn or falling out of the system, and how many cases resulted in convictions."People don't have faith that reporting a case to police will result in a conviction. That's why the policy and the re-introduction of sexual offences courts are important - they place the victim first."..