VICTORIA

TOTAL OFFENDERS

There were 75,860 offenders proceeded against by police in Victoria in 2016–17. This represented an offender rate of 1,392 offenders per 100,000 persons, the second lowest rate nationally after the Australian Capital Territory (784 offenders per 100,000 persons). (Table 6)

Between 2015–16 and 2016–17 the number of offenders proceeded against by police in Victoria decreased by 3% (1,910 offenders), the fourth successive annual decrease. (Table 8)


PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

Between 2015–16 and 2016–17 the number of offenders with a principal offence of:

• Homicide and related offences decreased by 31% (52 offenders)
• Sexual assault and related offences increased by 11% (179 offenders)
• Offences against justice increased by 13% (537 offenders)

SEX

In 2016–17 the male offender rate in Victoria was 2,222 offenders per 100,000, which was four times the female offender rate of 572 offenders per 100,000 females.

This was the equal highest difference in the ratio of male to female rates; the Australian Capital Territory also had a male offender rate four times the female rate. (Tables 7 to 14).


YOUTH OFFENDERS

In 2016–17 there were 8,280 youth offenders in Victoria, a decrease of 5% (446 offenders) from 2015–16. The highest decreases in numbers of youth offenders were for the principal offences of Miscellaneous offences (down 28% or 290 offenders), and Theft (down 7% or 162 offenders).

Victoria has the second lowest youth offender rate at 1,447 offenders per 100,000 persons, after the Australian Capital Territory (884 offenders per 100,000 persons). (Table 20)


PROCEEDINGS

There were 116,997 police proceedings in 2016–17, a small decrease from the 117,199 in 2015–16.

Between 2015–16 and 2016–17 court proceedings increased by 4% (3,275 proceedings), which was the sixth successive increase for court actions in Victoria. Since 2010–11 court proceedings have increased by 56% (29,666 proceedings). The largest contributors to the increase were for principal offences of Acts intended to cause injury (up 56% or 7,637 proceedings) and Offences against justice (up 172% or 6,318 proceedings) which was primarily due to ANZSOC sub-division 153 Breach of violence and non-violence orders. (Table 27 and historical data)

Non-court proceedings decreased by 9% (3,404 proceedings) between 2015–16 and 2016–17, and represented the fourth consecutive annual decrease of this method of proceeding in Victoria. Since 2012–13, the number of non-court proceedings has decreased by 44% (26,254 proceedings). The major contributors to the decrease were the principal offences of Theft (down 59% or 7,104 proceedings), Miscellaneous offences (down 55% or 10,398 proceedings) and Public order offences (down 38% or 7,498 proceedings). (Table 27)