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4510.0 - Recorded Crime, Australia, 2001  
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/05/2002   
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  • Increase in the number of victims of crime in all offence categories: ABS (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

May 30, 2002
Embargoed 11:30am (AEST)
49/2002

Increase in the number of victims of crime in all offence categories: ABS

According to figures released today, the number of crime victims recorded by police in Australia increased between 2000 and 2001 for all offence categories for which data are compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The largest proportional increase in the number of victims was for blackmail/extortion (37%).

Graph - Victims(a), percentage change from 2000 to 2001



While there were increases in all categories, for the specific offence types of murder, manslaughter and driving causing death, the number of victims decreased.

Other findings in Recorded Crime, Australia 2001 include:
  • A knife was the most common type of weapon used in attempted murder (33%), murder (29%) and robbery (23%).
  • The proportion of robberies where a weapon was used in 2001 (42%) is similar to the 1993 figure, when this series commenced. The use of firearms has declined as a proportion of all robberies (down from 16% to 6%). In 3.5% of cases, a syringe was used.
  • There have been large increases in the victimisation rates for armed robbery in Victoria (44%) and New South Wales (20%) between 2000 and 2001, which contrasts with decreases in a number of other states and territories.
  • Males were more likely to have been a victim in all offence categories, with the exception of sexual assault and kidnapping/abduction.
  • People aged 15-19 years were over 4 times more likely to have been a victim of sexual assault and over 3 times more likely to be a victim of robbery than the general population.
  • At least half of the victims of murder, attempted murder, assault and sexual assault knew the offender.
  • More than 3 in 5 victims of murder and sexual assault were subjected to the offence in a residential location, while a similar proportion of victims of kidnapping/abduction were taken from a street or other community location.

Further details are in Recorded Crime, Australia 2001 (cat. no. 4510.0).

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