Sexual assault reports in Australia hit all-time high. What’s driving the increase?
New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week shows the number of sexual assaults reported around Australia has risen to an all-time high.
Key points:
- There were a record 31,000 sexual assaults reported in Australia last year
- Experts say more women are reporting crimes, but opportunities to commit assaults are also increasing
- The majority of people reporting assaults were under 18, sparking calls for better education and services for young people
In 2021, more than 31,000 people were recorded as victims of sexual assault.
That’s a rise of 13 per cent in one year, and the only major crime category to increase.
The data also showed that three in five victims reporting assaults were under 18 years of age at the date of the incident.
And according to experts, 87 per cent of people that experience sexual assault don’t ever report this crime, meaning the true figure is much higher.
Tara Hunter, a sexual assault frontline worker from Full Stop Australia, said the increase is not just because more women are reporting crimes.
“It’s not OK to just say, well, that’s the only reason why these numbers have gone up,” she said.
“We can’t discount the fact that this crime is potentially on the increase.”
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