021 Serious assault

This subdivision includes the intentional, direct, and immediate infliction of force, injury, or violence upon a person or people, either causing significant injury or in the context of aggravating factors.

Where choking and strangulation can’t be disaggregated from other serious assaults, code to 0210.

This group is specifically for choking, strangulation, and suffocation offences.

• Choking
• Strangulation
• Suffocation

• Strangulation, choking, or suffocation leading to death – coded to the relevant group within 01 Homicide

A serious assault may include, but is not limited to, any of the following circumstances:

• Causing a significant injury (as defined below)
• Committed against a pregnant person
• Committed against a vulnerable victim as defined by the jurisdiction where the offence occurred
• Committed in company
• Involving more than one victim
• Part of a planned or organised criminal activity
• “Persistent family violence” as defined by the jurisdiction where the offence occurred
• Use of a weapon, including a vehicle
• Other aggravating circumstance specified by state, territory, or national criminal legislation

For the purposes of this group, significant injury includes, but is not limited to:

• Grievous bodily harm (including severe psychological harm where specified in jurisdictional legislation)
• Pregnancy loss, except where the loss is legally considered to be homicide
• Significant wounding

This group excludes where these acts are against police officers and other public officers for whom specific legislation applies.

• Assaults causing significant injury or where an aggravating factor applies
• Attempt to cause grievous bodily harm
• Threats to seriously injure or kill that are face-to-face and where there is an apprehension that the threat could be enacted, and this threat causes fear and severe psychological harm
• Torture causing significant physical and/or psychological harm
• Other serious assaults not elsewhere classified

• Assault where there was no serious injury or aggravating factors – coded to 0230 Common assault
• Assault, including serious assault, of a police officer or other prescribed officer – coded to 0221 Assault of a police officer or 0222 Assault of other prescribed officer
• Driving causing grievous bodily harm – coded to 0450 Driving causing serious injury
• Food or drink spiking – coded to 0491 Drug or poison a person
• Neglect or ill-treatment of a child or vulnerable person – coded to 0492 Neglect or ill-treatment of person under care
• Threats to kill or injure that are not face-to-face where there is no belief that the threat could be enacted – coded to 0442 Threatening behaviour