New rape hotline in Baltimore

Baltimore has established a new hot line for victims of rape and sexual assault.

The hot line is intended to give victims an opportunity to report past incidents or mistreatment they experienced when reporting rape in the past. It will begin operating Wednesday.

It's part of the city's response to a report in The Baltimore Sun, which found that Baltimore led the nation in rape cases that police believe are false or baseless. Over the past five years, more than 30 percent of the rape cases investigated by detectives each year have been deemed unfounded. That's five times the national average.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the city needs to make sure that rape victims feel safe reporting the crime.

-- Associated Press