4519.0 - Recorded Crime - Offenders, Selected states and territories, 2007-08

Quality Declaration

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/08/2009 First Issue

Page tools: Print

Print Page Print all pages in this product

Print All

Contents >> Victoria >> PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

The predominant principal offence that offenders were proceeded against in 2007-08 was theft (25% of all offenders). The next most prevalent principal offences were acts intended to cause injury (20%), followed by illicit drug offences (13%).

There were differing offence patterns between male and female offenders in terms of the most prevalent principal offences. Female offenders were most commonly proceeded against for theft (45%), followed by acts intended to cause injury (15%). These two offence types also comprised the most prevalent offences for males, but the order and proportions differed. Acts intended to cause injury accounted for the highest proportion of male offenders (21%), followed by theft (18%).

Offenders (a), Selected principal offence by sex, Victoria
Graph: Offenders (a), Selected principal offence by sex, Victoria

Age was a factor when considering the type of principal offence that someone was proceeded against by police. Based on the median age of offenders by each principal offence type, offenders were younger for principal offences relating to robbery and extortion, property damage and environmental pollution (median age 19 years for both offence types), and unlawful entry with intent (median age 20 years), and much older for sexual assault (median age 35 years).

Offenders, Principal offence by median age, Victoria
Graph: Offenders, Principal offence by median age, Victoria