Crime and justice

•  Two in five Australian adults had experienced violence since age of 15.
•  One in six women and one in seventeen men experienced partner violence.
•  One in two women and one in four men had experienced sexual harassment.
•  One in six women and one in ten men experienced abuse before age of 15.

• Sexual assault recorded by police increased by 13% from 2020.
• Most victims of sexual assault were under 18 years of age at the date of incident (61%).
• Property offences have increased in 2021, following decreases in 2020.

• 7,944 federal defendants were finalised in 2020–21, up 4% from 2019–20

• Harassment and threatening behaviour remained the most common principal federal offence (49%)

• The majority of defendants had a guilty outcome (66%)

• Around one-third of defendants with a guilty outcome received a fine as their principal sentence (32%).

• Persons in custody were 40,330, reaching its lowest level since December quarter 2016
• Sentenced prisoners decreased by 6% (1,534) since the December quarter 2021, down to 25,331
• Community service orders decreased by 2% (316) since the December quarter 2021, down to 12,519

There have been various government restrictions in place across the states and territories due to COVID-19 since March 2020. The restrictions may have had an impact on criminal activity and the justice system.

Contains annual national information on prisoners in custody at 30 June, including demographic information, imprisonment rates, most serious offence.

• 11% of Australians experienced personal fraud in 2020-21, up from 8.5% in 2014-15

• The increase was driven by a rise in card fraud (from 5.9% to 6.9%) and scams (from 2.4% to 3.6%)

• Card fraud was the most common fraud type experienced in 2020-21 (6.9%)

• 508,748 defendants were finalised in Criminal Courts, up 8% from 2019–20
• 97% of defendants adjudicated had a guilty outcome
• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences remained the most common principal offence (35%)
• Fines were the most common principal sentence (56% of defendants with a guilty outcome)

In the last 12 months:   

• sexual assault increased from 0.3% to 0.5%
• break-ins decreased from 2.4% to 1.7%
• malicious property damage decreased from 4.6% to 4.0%
• other personal and household crimes remained stable

In 2020-21:

• there were 359,975 offenders proceeded against by police in Australia
• the offender rate was the lowest since the time series began in 2008-09
• there were 29,218 offenders proceeded against for COVID-19 related offences
• illicit drug offences decreased for the fifth consecutive year

• 5.9% of women and 5.6% of men living with disability or a long-term health condition experienced violence in 2016
• The risk of violence was greater for adults with intellectual/psychological disability than those with physical disability

A report on findings exploring potential options to develop national family and domestic violence statistics for correctional services agencies

Identifies the key data items and recording formats required to improve reporting of family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia

Outlines the strategies and actions required to address critical data gaps and improve the evidence base for family, domestic, and sexual violence

Presents statistical conceptual information relating to family, domestic and sexual violence and describes the main concepts, sources and priorities