Some dismissed sexual assault cases in Saskatchewan will be reviewed after a 20-month investigation into police handling of sexual assault was published by the Globe and Mail last week.

According to the newspaper’s report, one in five reported sexual assaults in Canada are deemed unfounded. Saskatchewan is on par with the national average of 19 per cent but has the highest rate of unfounded sexual assaults among all western provinces.

Alberta sits behind Saskatchewan at 18 per cent, followed by Manitoba at 14 per cent and British Columbia at 11 per cent. New Brunswick tops the country with the highest number of unfounded sexual assault claims at 32 per cent.

The rates of unfounded sexual assault cases between 2010 and 2014 in Saskatchewan range from 57 per cent — or, four out of seven cases — in Green Lake to zero in some areas.

Saskatoon police determined 15 per cent of the 1,469 cases sexual assault cases were unfounded, and in Regina, police dismissed 17 per cent of the 879 allegations.

Saskatoon police Chief Clive Weighill told CTV News the service is committed to reviewing each unfounded case dating back to 2010.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry,” Weighill said. “Mistakes can be made. We want to make sure we've given every case the proper look that it has to have.”

He added it’s important to note sexual assault cases include a broad range of alleged crimes — from historic cases and sexual touching to domestic cases and rape allegations. He said files are deemed unfounded when there’s a lack of evidence, victims recant their statements or victims can’t be reached by police after filing a complaint.

The Regina Police Service said it’s reviewing all unfounded cases in the last two years and will look at samples of cases between 2005 and 2010.

The RCMP released a statement Thursday saying commanding officers from divisions across Canada have been directed to review unfounded sexual assault cases from last year to ensure they comply with policy and to ensure reasonable decisions were made based on evidence.

While it will be reviewing a sample of historical cases, an RCMP spokesperson wouldn’t clarify how many files will be reviewed in Saskatchewan.