Regional domestic violence rates soar, as post pandemic crime spike fears prove false

Regional NSW has seen a concerning spike in domestic violence while across the board crime rates have defied predictions of a post-lockdown surge in offending.

Though violent crime remains steady overall, some regional communities have seen ‘concerning’ increases in domestic violence.

Regional NSW has seen a concerning spike in domestic violence while across-the-board crime rates have defied predictions of a post-lockdown surge and remained relatively steady, latest crime figures show.

Incidents of property offences fell significantly, with 24 per cent fewer offences recorded in the first quarter of this year, and violent crime remained stable compared to two years ago, the latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report found.

The drop in property offences was driven by falls in reports of breaking and entering into a dwelling of 27 per cent, stealing from a retail store down 24 per cent and robbery down 32 per cent.

Though violent crime remained steady overall, some regional communities saw “concerning” increases in domestic violence, with rates rising in the Murray region by 14 per cent, 17.4 per cent in the central west and 9.3 per cent in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

The New England and northwest region saw a 10.5 per cent increase in non-domestic violence-related assaults while the Riverina region had a 6.5 per cent increase.

The bureau’s executive director, Jackie Fitzgerald, said the upwards trend in domestic violence cases had begun before the pandemic and had accelerated during it.

“The domestic violence result for regional communities is interesting and concerning,” she said. “It looks like those increases have predated the pandemic and what is of concern is these are communities which already had high rates of domestic violence, so they’re communities that can least afford an increase.”

Ms Fitzgerald said the latest figures continued the gradual overall decline of crime rates in NSW over the past 15 years, which had been further suppressed during the pandemic.

“Prior to the pandemic, we expected crime had fallen almost as far as it could possibly go,” she said.

“There will always be some base level of crime but it fell further during the pandemic.”

Ms Fitzgerald said crime experts had been bracing for a post-pandemic increase in the crime rate after two years of declined mobility under lockdown and increased financial support saw offences fall to record lows.

However, the latest figures suggested that behaviour patterns had not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.