The number of victim-survivors of sexual assault recorded by police rose by 11 per cent in 2023, the 12th straight annual rise, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

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Samantha McNally, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said: “There were 36,318 victim-survivors of sexual assault recorded by police in 2023, with increases across almost all states and territories. 

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“Accounting for population growth, the rate of recorded sexual assault victim-survivors has gone up from 126 per 100,000 people last year, to 136 victim-survivors per 100,000 people. 

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“This is the highest rate of sexual assault victim-survivors recorded in our 31-year dataset.”

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The majority of sexual assault victim-survivors were female (84 per cent). The most common age group was between 10 and 17 years at the date of the incident (41 per cent).

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More than two in three (69 per cent) sexual assaults took place in a residential location. Most sexual assaults (69 per cent) were reported to police within a year. 

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Family and domestic violence-related sexual assaults made up almost two in five (39 per cent) of all sexual assaults reported to police (14,059 victim-survivors).

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The increase in sexual assaults was experienced in the Richmond Police District for the last six years (each year is a financial year, so July 1 2023 to June 30 2024)

In the above table, Child reported as child, means the offence happened when they were a child, and they are still a child when reported i.e. current.

Child reported as adult means the offence happened when they were a child and they reported when they were an adult i.e. historical.

Richmond Police District Superintendent Scott Tanner said, “The vast majority of sexual assaults occur between victims and offenders who are known to each other.”

“We have specialist police in the Child Abuse Squad whose sole job is to investigate and prosecute offenders for child sexual assault. They work with partners in the Department of Community and Justice to provide wrap-around support for the victims.”