Latest statistics released by the Crime Statistics Agency show that recorded criminal incidents and offences have remained steady for Assault and related offences across Victoria over the 12 months to December 2017.
Over the past five years, the number of criminal incidents with a principal offence of assault has increased by 16%, with the largest annual increase occurring in the year ending December 2016, when it increased by 13%. Incidents with a principal offence of serious assault have decreased over this period, whilst those with a principal offence of other types of assault have increased.
In the year ending December 2017, there were 43,409 assault offences recorded; more than the 38,951 criminal incidents recorded for the same period.
For criminal incidents of assault, 29% were recorded with only an assault offence type; the other 71% were recorded with other offence types associated with the criminal incident. Of the other offences that were associated with assault incidents, Property damage was the most frequently reported offence type, present in 8% of the criminal incidents of assault, followed by Breaches of orders (8%), and Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour (6%).
Of the 38,951 assault incidents, approximately half (53%) resulted in a charge being laid, with family violence related incidents more likely to result in a charge being laid compared to non-family violence related incidents.
For recorded offences of assault, Common assault offences comprised 56% of all assault and related offences, followed by Serious assault (38%) and Assault police, emergency services or other authorised officer (7%).
Further information can be found in the latest crime statistics quarterly release, available to download from the CSA website:
http://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/latest-crime-data/