A NEW report published by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research highlights a significant rise in four major criminal offences within the last five years.

Since 2019, domestic assault reports have increased 15.4 percent (up 3.7 percent per year on average), rising in eleven of thirteen regional NSW locations and seven of fifteen Greater Sydney locations.

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Non-domestic assault reports increased 7.8 percent (up 1.9 percent per year on average), rising in twelve of thirteen regional NSW locations and four of fifteen Greater Sydney locations.

Sexual assault reports increased 42.1 percent (up 9.2 percent per year on average), rising in ten of the thirteen NSW regional locations and fourteen of the fifteen Greater Sydney locations.

Motor vehicle theft increased 8.5 percent (up 2.1 percent per year on average), rising in eight of the thirteen regional locations and three of the fifteen Greater Sydney locations.

“Concerningly, of the four major criminal offences categories on the rise, sexual assault has shown the largest increase over the past five years with 42 percent more incidents reported in the year to March 2024 compared with five years ago in the year to March 2020,” Executive Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Jackie Fitzgerald, said.

“The increase in statistics is mostly driven by a rise in reported adult sexual assault victims (up by 62 percent or 1,606 additional incidents).

“Historical child sexual assault reports also increased by 92 percent or 1,137 additional incidents.

“The fifteen percent increase in reports of domestic violence related assaults in NSW is due to an increase in reported family violence, together with an escalation of intimate partner assaults.

“Non-domestic assaults have increased against adult women and young people.

“Looking at where these offences are occurring, we’ve seen an increase in residential premises (up eighteen percent or 1,567 additional incidents) and school premises (up 46 percent or 748 additional incidents).

“However, three of the thirteen major criminal offences: robbery, stealing from motor vehicles, and malicious damage to property all decreased over the past five years, while the remaining offences remained stable.”

The quarterly crime statistics for NSW can be found at www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au.

By Simon EKINS