The majority of murders and attempted murders involved the use of a weapon (in 59% and 83% of offences, respectively, in 2000) (table 11.9 and graph 11.10). These crimes are much more likely to involve weapon use than other crimes against the person - robbery (weapon used in 41% of offences in 2000), kidnapping (in 21%) and assault (in 12%). There were some fluctuations between 1999 and 2000, but the proportions were broadly similar.
11.9 VICTIMS OF REPORTED CRIME(a), By Use of Weapon in Commission of Offence |
|
| Offence category | Firearm
% | Other
weapon
% | Total where
weapon used(b)
% | No weapon
used
% | Total
victims
% | Tota
victims
no. |
|
2000 |
|
| Homicide - | | | | |  | |
| - Murder | 19.5 | 38.4 | 59.3 | 40.7 | 100.0 | 302 |
| - Attempted murder | 30.7 | 52.2 | 83.1 | 16.9 | 100.0 | 391 |
| Assault | 0.6 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 88.4 | 100.0 | 141,124 |
| Sexual assault | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 98.2 | 100.0 | 15,630 |
| Kidnapping/abduction | 7.1 | 13.4 | 20.8 | 79.2 | 100.0 | 688 |
| Robbery | 5.7 | 32.3 | 40.6 | 59.4 | 100.0 | 23,314 |
|
1999 |
|
| Homicide - | | | | | | |
| - Murder | 17.8 | 43.9 | 63.7 | 36.4 | 100.0 | 342 |
| - Attempted murder | 31.6 | 47.8 | 79.3 | 20.7 | 100.0 | 358 |
| Assault | 0.5 | 10.3 | 11.2 | 88.8 | 100.0 | 133,602 |
| Sexual assault | 0.2 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 98.0 | 100.0 | 14,074 |
| Kidnapping/abduction | 7.9 | 15.1 | 23.3 | 76.7 | 100.0 | 763 |
| Robbery | 6.3 | 31.7 | 41.8 | 58.2 | 100.0 | 22,590 |
|
(a) Victims of armed robbery refers to individual persons or organisations. All other offence categories used in this table refer to individual persons.
(b) Includes data where a weapon was used but was not further defined. |
Source: Recorded Crime, Australia, 1999 (4510.0); Recorded Crime, Australia, 2000 (4510.0).
|
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