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News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Aussie state's ‘deeply disturbing' sexual assault stats
Sexual assault cases in the state of New South Wales have risen dramatically in the last two years, as experts scramble to figure out the reason behind these horrific statistics. NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research revealed between March 2023 and March 2025 sexual assault reports rose 6.4 per cent in NSW, making it one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the country. The spike has also come with an increase of other crimes such as stalking and harassment, domestic violence and intimidation. This latest data supports what the Australian Bureau of Statistics released last year, that put sexual assault reports in Australia at a 31-year high. The reason behind the spike is up for debate, but many believe it is a mix of people reporting — thanks to anonymous reporting method Sexual Assault Reporting Option making up 22.8 per cent of reports in the last year — and the frequency of the crime taking place. A rise in people reporting these crimes Jackie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of BOCSAR, said: 'These figures highlight the growing willingness of victims to speak out, supported by more accessible and confidential reporting pathways.' Experts in the field, such as Sarah Williams, the founder and CEO of What Were You Wearing, have weighed in on the spike in reported sexual assaults. 'I am not surprised at all. It is concerning, but there are a few different reasons for why. The more there has been things such as our rallies and organisations like ours actually talking about these issues and getting rid of the taboo nature of sexual assault, people are probably feeling more comfortable to report,' Ms Williams told 'Which means we can then sometimes see an increase — so it doesn't always mean that it is happening more.' However, at the same time, Ms Williams hears from victim-survivors essentially every day about what is happening to them. This points to a very real concern about the rate of sexual assault and harassment. Ms Williams said there has been a societal shift of people realising things aren't OK, and calling out bad behaviours, yet at the same time sexual assault is one of the few crimes on the rise in Australia. She also pointed out that the rise in public figures such as Andrew Tate make misogynistic content readily available to the world, including teenagers, empowering sexism, violence and misogyny. 'You have shows such as Adolescence, which was really good, but then you think about it now and no one talks about it anymore,' she said. She said even when WWYW posted a TikTok, it sometimes lands on the wrong For You Page and it will be filled with comments tearing down women — a sign to Ms Williams that not enough prevention is being done. 'You've got to meet people where they're at — where are men? We're about to start doing talks in schools, so that area is covered, but what about people between the ages of 40 to 60,' she asked. 'Where can you meet them? The NRL, State of Origin, the AFL?' Still one of Australia's most under-reported crimes She said it would be 'awesome' to see places such as this take up the mantle for women's rights. Sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes in Australia, and Ms Williams said this is due to a variety of reasons. 'One of them is the fear of not being believed, dismissed, interrogate or accused of lying. Victim blaming is at highest, and is one of the biggest drivers — in my opinion — of low reporting,' she said. Ms Williams also said that many victim-survivors feel as though law enforcement retraumatises them, and that we need 'trauma informed' training for police. This is compounded with a lack of trust in the court system, with just seven per cent of sexual assaults reported in New South Wales ending in a guilty verdict. Shame, guilt and self-blame are also factors when it comes to under-reporting, as well as lack of education on trauma responses such as 'freezing' — with Ms Williams saying the first time we learn about these things shouldn't be 'afterwards with a counsellor' and should be part of sexual assault education. 'Deeply disturbing statistics' A spokesperson from Teach Us Consent told that the statistics were 'deeply disturbing but not surprising'. 'While reported rates of sexual assault are at an all-time high, these statistics are still likely to be a serious underestimate of the reality because there are so many barriers to reporting,' the spokesperson said. 'These figures paint a concerning picture about the experiences of predominantly women across NSW – not only about sexual violence but gendered violence at large. 'There's something to be said when, during a time where the cost of living is so high, that incidents of theft from retail stores are rising at a slower rate than that of sexual assault.' The spokesperson added that without further research it is hard to determine the reason behind the increased figure, adding that SARO and accurate education about what actually constitutes sexual violence helps people recognise and report incidents. 'For incidents of sexual violence to genuinely decline, we must address the attitudes, behaviours and life experiences that cause it. Consent education is absolutely fundamental to achieving this,' the spokesperson said. 'Last month, Teach Us Consent launched over 100 freely available resources for young people to access content made by and for young people to get confident with consent, sex and relationships.' Meanwhile Karen Bevan, Full Stop Australia's CEO, did warn that the numbers we are seeing aren't a true reflection of how many people are impacted by sexual assault. Ms Bevan said; 'Sexual violence in NSW is more serious than even these rising numbers suggest. Most sexual violence is never reported – fewer than 10 per cent of victim survivors report to police, so they aren't represented in this data. 'We need to grapple with the true scale of this issue and act urgently to increase our prevention efforts, adequately resource for specialist sexual violence support services and take bold steps to improve access to justice for victim-survivors and increase accountability for those who commit these crimes.' The organisation has put forward a pre-budget submission to the NSW Government for a plot program to help improve the experience of victim-survivors who make it to court — which is just 15 per cent of reported cases. Ms Williams said that Australians should know that they deserve to heal after what happened to them, reaffirming it is not their fault and support is out there.
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
NSW chief justice releases rare statement of growing number of people on remand
The NSW chief justice has sounded the alarm about the soaring number of people in the state being held on remand. In a rare public statement, Chief Justice Andrew Bell also sought to defend judges' bail decisions amid media scrutiny, saying the court system does its best to balance risk to the community and the interests of those accused. Chief Justice Bell pointed to the latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures that show there were 5,732 people on remand awaiting trial. "This figure has increased from 5,452 as at 30 March 2024 and from 4,778 five years earlier, that is to say, an increase of approximately 20 per cent over five years," he said. In June last year, the Minns government tightened bail laws for domestic violence offenders after a string of high-profile killings of women by men known to them, meaning those accused of serious domestic violence charges now have to demonstrate why they should be given bail before it is granted. The government also made it harder for young offenders to get bail. The chief justice said the presumption of innocence was a "fundamental plank in our system of justice", and the denial of bail left innocent people at risk of being kept behind bars for "a considerable period of time". "It is not possible to ensure that an accused person held in prison on remand will receive a quick trial, despite the best efforts of all concerned," he wrote. "A person charged with a serious offence may have to wait up to three years before their trial comes on for hearing." He said keeping an accused person behind bars was costly for taxpayers, with an annual average cost in 2024 of over $105,000 per person to keep a person in custody, totalling almost $600 million per year spent on prisoners held on remand. Chief Justice Bell said there was also a hefty human toll. "It also carries an irremediable cost to the not insignificant number of accused person held on remand but not subsequently convicted, or if sentenced for a shorter period than he or she has been held on remand," he said. Chief Justice Bell said the Bail Act strives to deal with the "difficult issue" of what to do with those who have been charged but not convicted of an offence. He said while over time it has "significantly restricted the circumstances in which bail may be granted" it does not "mandate the refusal of bail for any person". Supreme Court justices dealt with over 3,100 bail applications last year, while magistrates in the local court system determined almost 40,000 bail applications. The chief justice said while the act allows courts to impose "stringent conditions", he acknowledged there was no "absolute guarantee that the person granted bail will not offend whilst on bail". "To do so involves a profound misunderstanding of the nature of the difficult and complex risk assessment which judges are required to make when hearing and determining bail applications. "While judges' decisions are not immune from criticism, media reporting of decisions to grant bail is sometimes not informed by a full understanding or proper appreciation of the evidence before the court on the bail application." He concludes his piece with predecessor Tom Bathurst KC's 2012 quote: "There are a few people as much in touch with the realities faced by victims, accused and convicted as are the judges of the criminal courts. They are in the thick of it every single day". "That remains the case today," Chief Justice Bell said.
Sky News AU
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Govt agency calls for ‘urgent' action as NSW prison population swells to five-year high amid alarming Indigenous incarceration rates
A New South Wales government agency is calling for "urgent" sweeping changes to address inmate numbers as the state's prison population swells to a five-year high. The total number of adults within correctional facilities across the state reached 13,103 in March, the highest since March 2020, a report released on Wednesday revealed. A steep decline in prisoner numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by a relatively stable period, but inmate levels have been rising steadily over the past 18 months. The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) quarterly report said the number of adults incarcerated in NSW has spiked by 1,055 people, or 8.8 per cent, since November 2023. BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said while the 'overall' prison population remains below pre-pandemic levels, the number of Aboriginal inmates now 'well exceeds' levels in 2019 and 'continues to grow'. The report said the increase is due to a surge in Aboriginal remandees, who are unconvicted prisoners awaiting court hearings. The number of Indigenous remandees rose by 63 per cent in the five years to March 2025, with domestic violence allegations accounting for a large part of the increase in Aboriginal adults being remanded, it said. 'These figures underscore the urgent need to consider policies, interventions and practice changes to reduce Aboriginal incarceration, as current trends contradict the Closing the Gap commitment to reduce Aboriginal over-representation in the criminal justice system by at least 15% by 2031,' Ms Fitzgerald said. The Closing the Gap commitments includes reducing the rate of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in detention facilities by 30 per cent by 2031. BOSCAR's quarterly update said there were 4,244 Aboriginal prisoners in NSW as of March this year, who represented 32 per cent of the state's total adult inmates. There had been an increase of 520 Aboriginal inmates, or 14 per cent, since November 2023, while the number of non-Aboriginal prisoners was up by 359 people, or 4.3 per cent, over the same period.
