Concerning rise in sexual violence incidents across Toowoomba district
As Toowoomba comes together to rally against sexual violence in the community, new statistics show incidents reported to police are increasing with 10 rape or attempted rape victims coming forward each month.
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Queensland Police statistics show sexual violence incidents are rising across the Toowoomba policing district, with 10 victims coming forward each month on average.
This weekend for sexual violence awareness month, the Toowoomba community will rally against sexual violence in our community for the annual Reclaim the Night march on Friday, October 25.
A spokeswoman for the event said it was a night of action against all forms of violence against women.
“It is a show of resistance, strength, and unity where the community comes together to demonstrate a belief that everyone has the right to feel safe on our streets and in our homes at all times of day and night,” she said in a statement.
“The march honours those without a voice, or whose voice has been silenced and to join with people from all over the world fighting for the right of all women and persons to feel safe, to be safe, no matter where they are, no matter what time of day it is, no matter what they’re doing or what they’re wearing.”
The latest statistics released by the Queensland Police Service shows more people reported incidents of sexual assault and rape across the Toowoomba policing district during the first eight months of 2024 than in 2023.
From January to August, Toowoomba officers responded to 181 sexual assault incidents, 82 of which related to rapes or attempted rapes.
During the same time frame in 2023, Toowoomba officers responded to 139 sexual assaults, 63 of which related to rapes or attempted rapes.
The statistics which date back to 2005 show the second highest peak in sexual assaults reported in one month occurred in March 2024, with 49 incidents logged, 14 of which related to rape or attempted rape.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics latest Personal Safety Survey one in five women have experienced sexual violence since turning 16.
Australian Bureau of Statistics head of crime and justice statistics Will Milne said “an estimated two million women have experienced sexual violence by a man they knew, and around 600,000 by a male stranger”.
The report estimated 2.2 million adult women experienced sexual violence and found 53 per cent of women’s most recent sexual assault was perpetrated by an intimate partner.
Domestic Violence Action Centre CEO Amie Carrington said it was important that disclosures of sexual violence are believed.
“This will support and assist the survivor in their healing and recovery from what has happened to them,” she said.
Domestic Violence Action Centre service manager Deb Murdoch echoed this sentiment.
“We recognise that every survivor story is valid and deserves to be heard, together we can end the silence and end sexual violence by promoting consent, respect and empathy,” she said.
In 2023 DVAC supported over 7000 people and provided over 15,000 individual appointments.
A DVAC spokeswoman said its services included working with men to better understand intimate partner violence.
“We worked with men who used intimate partner violence to understand their impact on violence on their families and to make real changes in their behaviours to improve their family safety,” she said.
“We are strong advocates for change on all levels.
“We actively stand against all forms of oppression and believe in the right of justice, equality, and fairness for all.”
Reclaim the Night Event Details
When and where: 25 October 2024 between 5:30-pm and 7:30pm at the Village Green in front of Toowoomba Library. The march is about 1km, down Ruthven St, Margaret St, and Victoria St, before returning to the Village Green for speeches.
What’s on? Free sausage sizzle, artist workshop exhibition, poster painting and placards, free coffee van
Open invitation: An inclusive and family-friendly event
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Originally published as Concerning rise in sexual violence incidents across Toowoomba district
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