Sex assault cases in QLD reach new record high as more women attacked in Covid-19 lockdown

Queensland has recorded the largest number of sex assaults with many targeting teens and kids, as domestic violence cases continue to spiral.

Almost 90 people a day were sexually assaulted around Australia last year with Queensland experiencing one of the nation’s highest jumps in the number of victims.

The shocking figures also show nationally there has been a 13 per cent jump to a total of 31,118 victims the highest number ever recorded since the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) started keeping crime data records 29 years ago.

The ABS Recorded Victims of Crime Report 2021 released on Thursday shows around the country there were six times more female victims of sexual assault than males.

And alarmingly, more than half of all victims were female and aged under 18 at the time of the attacks – targeted in homes, at times, during Covid restrictions. More than 80 per cent of victims were female.

More than a third were recorded as family and domestic violence-related 11,367 victim-survivors.

In Queensland 6891 people were sexually assaulted – a spike of 35 per cent on the previous year. Of those 87 per cent were female and more than half were aged under 18 years at the time of the attack and most knew the offender.

The highest increases in sex assaults were in Queensland where the number of victims jumped 1771, followed by Victoria up 12 per cent with 651 more victims, and Western Australia 17 per cent with 516. But Tasmania reported a huge spike of 53 per cent or 163 victims.

The report has revealed most sexual assaults took place at a residential location and almost 100 per cent of attacks did not involve a weapon.

The ABS’s Head of Crime and Justice Statistics William Milne said the number sexual assaults across the country in 2021, was the largest number recorded by police.

Mr Milne said it is the 10th year in a row the number of sexual assault victims has increased.

There were increases in seven states and territories, with the Northern Territory the only one to record a drop in the number of sex assaults.

Females aged between 15 and 19 are most at risk of sexual assault and males of that age are most likely to be the perpetrators, according to Full Stop Australia.

Hayley Foster, chief executive of Full Stop Australia, which advocates on behalf of sexual assault victims, said its services saw an increase in calls regarding intrafamilial sexual assaults during Covid lockdowns.

“Sadly, these figures are not a surprise to us,” Ms Foster said.

However, while they saw an increase in intrafamilial abuse increased during the pandemic, she said the majority of under 18s who are sexually assaulted are assaulted by their partners and she said that was probably still the case during lockdown.

She said females aged between 15 and 19 are most at risk of sexual assault and males of that age are most likely to be the perpetrators.

Ms Foster said partners were allowed to visit home during lockdowns too.

She said that while Queensland recorded the highest increase, it may be down to better awareness of what sexual assault was and an improved confidence in the police and justice system to report incidents.

“Sexual assault is the fastest growing serious crime in the country,” Ms Foster said.

“This is a crisis that requires urgent attention and proper funding.”

Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munroe said the rise in sexual assaults could be “multi-factorial” – impacted on by the lack of mobility during Covid which also reduced the opportunities for random sex assaults.

“People are psychologically frustrated, their futures are uncertain, I think alcohol use and drug use escalated, with people self-medicating at home, and could have had some effect” said Dr Watson-Munroe.

But murders across the nation dropped seven per cent to the lowest rate since 1993 with only 370 victims of homicide and related offences – murder, attempted murder and manslaughter.

In Qld, the number of murders fell by 13 victims form 2020.

While there was an overall decrease in robbery nationally, victims of robbery increased in all jurisdictions, except New South Wales and Victoria.

The largest increases in the number of victims of robbery were recorded in Queensland which was up 12 per cent or 264 victims, South Australia up 16 per cent or 73 victims and WA up six per cent or 65 victims.

Motor vehicle thefts also rebounded with an increase of six per cent or 752 more victims from the previous year.

In Qld most motor vehicle thefts took place at an outbuilding such as a driveway, carport, or garage, nearly a fifth occurred on a street or footpath.

Crime data also shows unlawful entry with intent was up four per cent and other theft including retail locations was up five per cent.

The rise in other crimes including blackmail and extortion may be due to increased cybercrime and cyber stalking.

“People are getting random threats to expose them. Extortion is a function of the times. People are suffering out there and desperate times call for desperate measures for some people…,” said Dr Watson-Munroe.

“I think society is unravelling and there is an anarchistic attitude from some people. Some of the drivers (of crime) we are seeing are from desperate people.”

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the data was “sobering, particularly that the majority increase relates to children”.

“We know that as awareness of family, domestic and sexual violence increases, so too will reporting,” she added.

“I’m committed to working with my state and territory colleagues to finalise the next National Plan to reduce and ultimately end family, domestic and sexual violence.

“We don’t want the next generation of women and children to have to deal with this scourge.”

If you or anyone you know is in need or crisis please call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline 131 114.

Originally published as Sex assault cases in QLD reach new record high as more women attacked in Covid-19 lockdown