4510.0 - Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2009 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/06/2010   
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MEDIA RELEASE
June 3, 2010
Embargo: 11.30 am (AEDT)
65/2010
One in four sexual assault victims were children aged 10 to 14 years: ABS

During 2009 there were 18,800 victims of sexual assault recorded by police, with 25% of these victims aged 10 to 14 years, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The victimisation rate for all sexual assault victims aged 10-14 was 4 times higher than the rate for all age groups (338 victims per 100,000 people aged 10-14 compared with 86 victims per 100,000 people).

Female and male victims of sexual assault aged 10-14 both had victimisation rates 4 times higher than the rate for all females and males (579 female victims per 100,000 females aged 10- 14 compared with the overall rate of 144 female victims per 100,000 females; and 108 male victims per 100,000 males aged 10-14 compared with the overall rate of 26 male victims per 100,000 males.)

The majority (84%) of all sexual assault victims were female. Females were also the most prevalent victims of kidnapping/abduction (55%), while males were the most prevalent victims of robbery (75%), attempted murder (74%), murder (71%), and blackmail/extortion (69%).

Between 2008 and 2009, the number of victims recorded by police of blackmail/extortion offences increased by 60% (equating to a victimisation rate in 2009 of 3 victims per 100,000 people). The number of victims increased marginally for the personal offences of murder (1%) and attempted murder (1%), and decreased for manslaughter (-6%), sexual assault (-2%), kidnapping/abduction (-19%) and robbery (-5%).

Selected property offences in 2009 (unlawful entry with intent, motor vehicle theft and other theft) all decreased from 2008.

Of the selected personal offences, weapons were mainly used in murders, attempted murders, and robberies. A knife was the most common weapon used in committing these offences: 37% of attempted murder victims; 36% of murder victims; and 19% of robbery victims were subjected to an offence involving a knife.

Residential locations were the most common place of occurrence for the offences of unlawful entry with intent (68%), sexual assault (67%), murder (65%), attempted murder (62%), and motor vehicle theft (40%). The street/footpath was the most prevalent location where victims were robbed (46%) and kidnapped/abducted (45%).

Media note:

This publication presents national crime statistics relating to victims of a selected range of personal and property offences that have been recorded by police during 2009. Caution should be exercised in comparing 2009 data to prior years due to business process changes. More details are available in Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 4510.0).

Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.