South Dakota Sexual Assault Cases Rise Despite Overall Crime Drop

New state data shows 377 rapes in 2025, with a clearance rate of just over 14%

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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South Dakota's annual crime report for 2025 shows overall crime dropped more than 6%, but forcible rapes increased by 1.07% to 377 cases statewide. However, the clearance rate for these sexual assault cases was just over 14%, meaning more than 8 in 10 cases went unsolved. Law enforcement and victim advocates discuss the challenges in investigating and supporting survivors of these crimes.

Why it matters

The rise in sexual assault cases, despite an overall drop in crime, highlights the persistent challenges in addressing this type of violent crime. The low clearance rate raises concerns about the ability of law enforcement to properly investigate these sensitive cases and provide justice for survivors.

The details

The 2025 Crime in South Dakota report recorded 377 forcible rapes statewide, a 1.07% increase over the prior year. Of those cases, only 54 were cleared. Sgt. Scott Sitzes of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said sexual assault cases present obstacles not common in other crimes, such as a lack of independent witnesses, video evidence, or time-sensitive forensic evidence. Ashley Wasserberger of WAVI, a local victim advocacy organization, said their focus is on empowering survivors and ensuring they feel supported in their choices.

  • The 2025 Crime in South Dakota report was released on February 27, 2026.

The players

Marty Jackley

The Attorney General of South Dakota who released the 2025 crime report.

Sgt. Scott Sitzes

An investigator with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office who discussed the challenges in investigating sexual assault cases.

Ashley Wasserberger

The education director at WAVI, a local victim advocacy organization, who discussed their focus on empowering survivors.

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What they’re saying

“We've seen some slight increases in certain areas — probably the most concerning one, while not a large increase, is with forcible rapes. That number increased in South Dakota 1.07 percent. So, 2025, we had 377 forcible rapes.”

— Marty Jackley, Attorney General of South Dakota (kotatv.com)

“A lot of times there's no independent witnesses. There's no video. There may be a lack of evidence — and evidence that we may have is time sensitive. The trauma that a survivor may run into following an assault can affect when they report, how they report, the information that we're able to get from them.”

— Sgt. Scott Sitzes, Investigator, Pennington County Sheriff's Office (kotatv.com)

“We want to make sure that survivors feel empowered to make their own choices and be supported in those choices...we really just want to empower them in their own choices.”

— Ashley Wasserberger, Education Director, WAVI (kotatv.com)

What’s next

The Pennington County Sheriff's Office and WAVI will continue to work together to support survivors of sexual assault and improve investigative outcomes.

The takeaway

This report highlights the persistent challenges in addressing sexual assault, even as overall crime rates decline. It underscores the need for continued support and empowerment for survivors, as well as efforts to improve law enforcement's ability to effectively investigate these sensitive cases.