1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
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Contents >> Crime and Justice >> Weapon use

The majority of murders and attempted murders involved the use of a weapon (in 59% and 83% of offences, respectively, in 2000) (table 11.9 and graph 11.10). These crimes are much more likely to involve weapon use than other crimes against the person - robbery (weapon used in 41% of offences in 2000), kidnapping (in 21%) and assault (in 12%). There were some fluctuations between 1999 and 2000, but the proportions were broadly similar.


11.9 VICTIMS OF REPORTED CRIME(a), By Use of Weapon in Commission of Offence

Offence category
Firearm

%
Other
weapon


%
Total where
weapon used(b)

%
No weapon
used


%
Total
victims

%
Tota
victims

no.

2000

Homicide -
- Murder
19.5
38.4
59.3
40.7
100.0
302
- Attempted murder
30.7
52.2
83.1
16.9
100.0
391
Assault
0.6
10.6
11.6
88.4
100.0
141,124
Sexual assault
0.2
1.6
1.8
98.2
100.0
15,630
Kidnapping/abduction
7.1
13.4
20.8
79.2
100.0
688
Robbery
5.7
32.3
40.6
59.4
100.0
23,314

1999

Homicide -
- Murder
17.8
43.9
63.7
36.4
100.0
342
- Attempted murder
31.6
47.8
79.3
20.7
100.0
358
Assault
0.5
10.3
11.2
88.8
100.0
133,602
Sexual assault
0.2
1.7
2.0
98.0
100.0
14,074
Kidnapping/abduction
7.9
15.1
23.3
76.7
100.0
763
Robbery
6.3
31.7
41.8
58.2
100.0
22,590

(a) Victims of armed robbery refers to individual persons or organisations. All other offence categories used in this table refer to individual persons.
(b) Includes data where a weapon was used but was not further defined.

Source: Recorded Crime, Australia, 1999 (4510.0); Recorded Crime, Australia, 2000 (4510.0).




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