have risen 42% in the past five years, according to data that also shows a “significant” rise in three other criminal offences.
This included reports of domestic and non-domestic assault, which increased by 15% and 8% respectively, and motor vehicle theft by 8.5%. Robbery, stealing from motor vehicles and malicious damage to property decreased over the same period. Prof Julia Quilter, a University of Wollongong law expert, said it was not clear from the data why there had been an increase in reports of sexual assault. But she suspected it could be due, in part, toChildren as young as 12 recruited to steal $2m worth of cash and cigarettes for Melbourne crime network, police say“On the one hand, this data could be viewed as a pretty worrying development that we’ve got a significant increase in assaults occurring in the community,” Quilter said.
Boscar’s quarterly update found only 7% of sexual assault cases in the two years to December 2023 had legal proceedings commenced within 90 days of the report being made.