BOCSAR crime report reveals shows ‘concerning’ five-year jump in sexual assault, rape, DV

Experts fear new crime figures revealing a disturbing 42 per cent rise in sexual assaults may reflect that sexual violence is “rife” among young people.

Sexual assaults in NSW are up an extraordinary 42 per cent on five years ago, new crime statistics show.

Experts say that while awareness about rape and sexual assault has increased, the disturbing jump could also be a reflection of sexual violence being “rife” among young people.

The latest quarterly recorded crime figures, for March, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), also shows a 15 per cent rise in domestic violence type assaults.

And it also reveals motor vehicle theft is growing by eight per cent – particularly in country regions – where The Daily Telegraph has spotlighted the crime sprees involving vehicles including a 12-year-old boy in Dubbo charged 80 times.

BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald, says the rise in incidents of sexual assaults was driven by a steep increase in adult sexual assault victims — up by 62 per cent over the five years.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research executive director Jackie Fitzgerald has released the latest crime figures for NSW and it shows concerning rises in sexual assault.

Historic child sexual assault reports have also increased by 92 per cent.

“Concerningly, of the four major criminal offences categories on the rise, sexual assault has shown the largest increase over the past five years with 42 per cent more incidents reported in the year to March 2024 compared with five years ago in the year to March 2020,” she said.

“The 15 per cent increase in reports of domestic violence related assaults in NSW is due to an increase in reported family violence, together with an escalation of intimate partner assaults.”

Swinburne Law School senior lecturer Dr Rachael Burgin says not only has there been more advocacy led by sexual assault survivors, “we need to consider that what we are seeing is more sexual violence”.

“Sexual violence among young people is rife,” she said.

“As a society we need to accept that and respond with whole of community responses to prevent violence before it occurs.”

The crime report also found more attacks on grown women and young people.

Ms Fitzgerald said there had been an increase of 18 per cent on residential premises and an increase of 46 per cent on schools.

Arson was also on the rise — up by 31.5 per cent over two years.

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