National Homicide Monitoring Program found Territorians had the highest homicide rate

The Northern Territory has the highest homicide rate in the country, according to a shocking new report.

Territorians are three times more likely to be killed than the average Australian, according to the latest homicide report.

The National Homicide Monitoring Program released its latest analysis of violence and brutality, showing alleged homicides claimed the lives of 221 Australian men, women and children over 12 months.

The Australian Institute of Criminology report, which was released on Tuesday, is the only national data collection on homicide incidents, victims and offenders.

From July 2020 to June 2021 there were 210 homicide incidents recorded by police, the second lowest number of incidents in 32 years.

“Every Australian state and territory has experienced an overall decline in homicide victimisation since 1989‒90,” the report found.

There were seven homicides in the Territory in 2020-21 - the NT had the highest rate of violence with 2.81 fatal incidents per 100,000 people.

This was more than three times the national rate of 0.82 incidents per 100,000 people.

However, AIC data has shown the rate of violence has dropped dramatically in the Territory over the past three decades, with a homicide rate of 16.9 incidents per 100,000 people in 1990-91.

The latest data found five Territory males and two females were killed in 2020-21.

The most dangerous place for Territorians was in the community, with five deaths across the streets, sporting ovals and public car parks.

The National Homicide Monitoring Program released its latest analysis of violence and brutality that claimed the lives of 221 Australian men, women and children over 12 months.. Picture: Che Chorley

However, these attacks were not from strangers, but family, loved ones, friends or colleagues.

No Territorians were killed by strangers in 2020-21, with 70 per cent of all Territory homicides domestic violence related.

Another four Territorians were allegedly killed by acquaintances, either a friend, neighbour, work colleague or housemate.

The AIC said across Australia attacks by strangers were less common, making up 12 percent of all homicide incidents over 32 years.

Across Australia the weapons used to allegedly kill were typically knives, with stab wounds the leading cause of death for both male and female victims, making up more than a third of homicides in 2020-21.

A further 11 per cent of people died from gunshot wounds, 11 per cent were run down with a car or killed in a crash resulting in a homicide charge and 10 per cent were beaten to death.

No Territorians were killed by strangers in 2020-21, with 70 per cent of all Territory homicides domestic violence. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

In the Territory three of the fatal injuries were from a knife or other sharp object, one was from a blunt instrument, vehicle and another from multiple weapons.

The findings come as the NT Government passes controversial bail changes, which removes the presumption of bail for violent offences involving a weapon, including for co-accused.

The report found 84 per cent of those charged with a homicide offence in 2021-22 were male, while 61 per cent had a previous criminal history, and many were known to police following domestic violence incidents.

“In 2020‒21, 30 per cent of all male offenders and 58 per cent all female offenders had a history of family and domestic violence,” it said.

A quarter of female offenders had a “history of victimisation” and had lived in abusive homes.

People who had previous interactions with the justice system were also disproportionately likely to become victims themselves, with a third of those killed also having a criminal history.

While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples accounted for four percent of the Australian population, AIC found they made up 10 per cent of homicide victims.