Massive hikes in sentences for sex offenders will be debated in the The House of Assembly today.

The news comes as the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) revealed cases were on the rise with more male victims now coming forward. The unit also dealt with its first female-on-female sexual assault last year.

Last year there were 27 reported cases dealt by SART ? up from 20 the year before ? and 2005 was the highest figure for the last five years. The youngest victim was a seven-year-old boy while the oldest was an 82-year-old male. Eight victims were under 16.

Anne Mello, chairperson of the SART, welcomed the news that sentences were set to increase. The Criminal Code Amendment Act 2006 raises the tariff on a number of sex offences.

The minimum sentence for unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl aged 14-16 will double from five years to ten years and the maximum from 15 to 20 years.

The sentence for committing an indecent act in front of a child will go up from 12 months to ten years while the sentence for inducing a child to commit an indecent act will go up from two years to ten years.

Ms Mello told : ?We welcome the Bill as one step towards a greater community response to sexual assault but I only see it as one very small piece of this huge problem.?

Once sentenced she said inmates needed to be on the prison sex offenders programme for the two-year duration to get the full benefit ? those who skipped out early could actually become more dangerous. Women?s Resource Centre executive director Penny Dill said: ?Being in a programme part-time you simply learn how to do the job better. They are gaining more information from other sex offenders. They come out with more ideas, they are more dangerous.?

SART, which operates at the hospital, began in 1998 offering sex assault victims immediate professional, discrete care but Ms Mello said its organisational structure needed revamping as the lines of authority were unclear and hampered operations. ?Many people have never heard of us ? many victims don?t come to us.?

No one was helping to prevent sexual assault, she said. ?The numbers don?t indicate the depth of the problem in Bermuda. The crime of sexual assault is very difficult to report for many people because it?s entwined in families, communities and neighbourhoods.?

Not only is important forensic evidence properly collected by SART, victims also get counselling. Victims are referred for follow up psychological help and tests for sexually transmitted disease.

The time frame for examination and collection of forensic evidence is 72 hours but not all victims get there in time or consent for disclosure of their plight.