4519.0 - Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2009-10 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/02/2011   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All


MEDIA RELEASE
24 February, 2011
Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
24/2011
Rise in number of female offenders continues

The number of female offenders proceeded against by police continued to increase at a faster rate than for males, growing by 6% (to 84,100 offenders) between 2008-09 and 2009-10. The number of male offenders increased by 4% (to 290,400 offenders) over the same period, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The most common principal offence for males were acts intended to cause injury and public order offences (both 20%); for females it was theft (30%).

Male offending peaked at age 18 (9,700 offenders per 100,000 males aged 18 years) with police taking action against almost one in ten 18 year old males at least once during 2009-10. Female offending peaked earlier at 16 years of age, at 3,300 offenders per 100,000 females aged 15 years.

Police proceeded against 375,300 alleged offenders aged 10 years or more, a 5% increase on the previous year.

This represents 1,940 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over; a rise of 44 offenders per 100,000 persons in that age group from 2008-09.

Youth offenders (10-19 years) comprised nearly a third (29%) of the total offender population, while offenders aged 15 to 19 accounted for the largest proportion (23%) of offenders in Australia, and had the highest offender rate (5,800 offenders per 100,000 people aged 15 to 19 years).

Excluding Western Australia, one in four (25%) of all offenders in 2009-10 were repeat offenders as they had been proceeded against by police on two or more separate occasions; 3% of offenders had been proceeded against five or more times.

More details are available in Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4519.0) available for free download from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>

Media Note: This publication presents national crime statistics relating to alleged offenders aged 10 years and over who were proceeded against by police during the 2009-10 reference period. Data comes from administrative systems maintained by state and territory police agencies. Each offender is assigned a principal offence (most serious offence) if more than one offence is committed.

When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.