Child sex crime wave a mystery as thefts fall

New figures released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show crime has ‘remained stable or fallen across the state’, while reports of sexual assault continue to rise.

NSW Police walking along Darlinghurst Road in inner Sydney. Picture: John Grainger

Reports of sex crimes have risen dramatically across NSW, with recorded incidents of child sexual assault increasing by more than 20 per cent, according to new figures released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

While the bureau’s findings suggest crime across most of NSW has remained stable or ­fallen in the two years to December 2020, reports of sexual assault have recorded an increase of 10 per cent (642 cases), remaining the only major offence showing a significant upward trend.

Reports of sexual assault were highest in three categories, including child victims reporting current sexual assaults (up 21.3 per cent); historic child sexual ­assault reports (up 11.2 per cent); and assault of adult victims aged 16 years or above (up 4.4 per cent).

Offences classed as “violent crimes” fell sharply last April, as statewide restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic led to a substantial decline in cases.

 

However, since April violent offending has rapidly returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Downward trends have been recorded across property offences, including car theft, break and enter and retail theft, which remain below pre-pandemic ­levels.

Commenting on the ­bureau’s figures, executive ­director Jackie Fitzgerald said the “social upheaval of 2020 had delivered a significant interruption to historic crime patterns”.

“Overall property crime fell 18 per cent in 2020, break-ins, robbery, shoplifting and ­stealing remained low throughout the year so these offences are now at historic lows,” she said.

Asked about the rise in sexual assault reports, Ms Fitzgerald said “the continued increase remains deeply concerning”.

Ms Fitzgerald added that: “Of course, we can never tell with ­certainty if we are seeing an increase in reports or in prevalence.

“We’ve seen an average annual increase of 7 per cent over the past five years in sexual assault ­reports, and it’s always difficult to know what’s caused the increase.”

Ms Fitzgerald said the new findings “dispel any myths that reports of sexual assault are predominantly historic cases … What we are seeing is an increase in current child and adult victimisation.”