INDIGENOUS VICTIMS OF CRIME
Data about Indigenous victims for a selected range of person offences are presented for four jurisdictions (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory). Data for other jurisdictions are not yet of sufficient quality to report on. For more information see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 28-29.
New South Wales
As at 30 June 2009 Indigenous persons comprised 2% (161,972 Indigenous persons) of the total New South Wales population. In 2009 there were 75,928 victims of assault in New South Wales; 7% or 5,224 of these victims were Indigenous. The assault victimisation rate for Indigenous persons was 3,225 victims per 100,000 Indigenous persons. In contrast, the non-Indigenous victimisation rate was 966 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons.
Indigenous persons comprised 8% (542 victims) of the 7,210 victims of sexual assault in New South Wales in 2009. The Indigenous victimisation rate for sexual assault was 335 victims for every 100,000 Indigenous persons. This rate was nearly four times higher than the non-Indigenous rate (91 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons).
In 2009, 87% (4,560) of Indigenous victims of assault and 85% (463) of Indigenous victims of sexual assault reported that the offender was known to them; for non-Indigenous victims the proportions were 60% (40,363) and 79% (4,972) respectively. A family member was the offender for almost half (48%) of Indigenous assault victims, compared with 28% for non-Indigenous assault victims. This was also the situation for Indigenous sexual assault victims where 49% of offenders were a family member, compared to 38% for non-Indigenous sexual assault victims.
With the exception of blackmail/extortion and robbery, Indigenous persons had a higher victimisation rate than non-Indigenous persons for all offences reported in this publication.
Queensland
As at 30 June 2009 Indigenous persons comprised 4% (156,517 Indigenous persons) of the Queensland population. In Queensland there were 2,534 Indigenous victims of assault, comprising 12% of all victims of assault in this state in 2009. The assault victimisation rate for Indigenous persons was 1,619 victims per 100,000 Indigenous persons, about four times higher than the non-Indigenous victimisation rate (380 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons).
Indigenous persons comprised 11% (489 victims) of the 4,387 victims of sexual assault in Queensland in 2009. The Indigenous victimisation rate for sexual assault was 312 victims per 100,000 Indigenous persons which was four times higher than the non-Indigenous rate (77 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons).
In Queensland, 81% (2,048) of Indigenous victims of assault and 76% (370) of Indigenous victims of sexual assault reported that the offender was known to them; for non-Indigenous victims the proportions were 49% (7,863) and 71% (2,320) respectively. A family member was the offender for 46% of Indigenous assault victims, compared with 13% for non-Indigenous assault victims. Lower proportions were recorded for Indigenous sexual assault victims where 36% of offenders were a family member, compared to 28% for non-Indigenous sexual assault victims.
South Australia
As at 30 June 2009 Indigenous persons comprised 2% (29,785 Indigenous persons) of the South Australian population. In South Australia, there were 1,760 Indigenous victims of assault, comprising 11% of all victims of assault in this state during 2009. The assault victimisation rate for Indigenous persons was 5,909 victims per 100,000 Indigenous persons, nearly seven times higher than the non-Indigenous victimisation rate (896 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons).
In South Australia, for the majority of Indigenous assault victims the offender was known to the victim (86% or 1,505 Indigenous victims); whereas 57% or 8,086 non-Indigenous victims of assault reported that the offender was known to them. The proportion of sexual assault victims where the offender was known to the victim was similar for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous victims: 78% and 74% respectively. A family member was the offender for 49% of Indigenous assault victims and 34% of sexual assault victims, compared with 23% of non-Indigenous assault and 25% of non-Indigenous sexual assault victims.
Northern Territory
As at 30 June 2009 Indigenous persons comprised 30% (67,475 Indigenous persons) of the Northern Territory population. In the Northern Territory, there were 4,081 Indigenous victims of assault in 2009; comprising nearly two thirds (65%) of all victims of assault during 2009. The assault victimisation rate for Indigenous persons was 5,985 victims per 100,000 Indigenous persons; over five times higher than the non-Indigenous rate (1,150 victims per 100,000 non-Indigenous persons).
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