Sexual assault reports in NSW have increased 42 per cent in the last five years

The latest figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistic and Research have shown non-domestic assaults and vehicle theft are also on the rise.

Police in NSW have been called to deal with a large number of sexual assault incidents within the last 12 months. Source: Getty / Julia Gomina

Key Points

• The Bureau's executive director says the increase was due to real incidents of sexual assault.
• Non-domestic assaults have also increased against adult women and young people.
• Only three of 13 major criminal offence categories have dropped in the year to March 2024.

Sexual assault reports have gone up significantly in NSW in the last five years, with other criminal offences also on the rise, according to the latest data.

Figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) have shown a shocking 42 per cent increase in sexual assault reports in the 12 months leading up to March 2024, compared with five years ago.

According to the data, 6,533 criminal incidents of sexual assaults were reported to NSW Police in the 12 months leading to March 2020, but that number has risen to 9,284 in the 12 months leading to March 2024.

Rise due to different reasons, says expert

BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald says the increase could be due to real incidents of sexual assault taking place in the community, rather than people feeling more comfortable to come forward and report the crimes.

"One way to understand whether the increase in reported sexual assault is due to more people coming forward to police or an actual increase in sexual violence is to look at victim survey results," she said.

"Across Australia, there has been an increase in self-reported experience of sexual violence from 1.2 per cent of the population in 2016 to 1.9 per cent of the population in 2021/22 (and) this is independent of increased reporting."

Fitzgerald added that the increased figures could also be due to the NSW Police's online portal for reporting sexual assault incidents, with users making 1,794 reports online in the 12 months leading to March 2024, compared to 957 in the year before that.

Other crimes also on the rise

The data also revealed a 15.4 per cent increase in domestic violence assaults, which the BOCSAR executive director says is largely due to a rise in reports and an escalation of intimate partner assaults.

Non-domestic assaults have also risen against adult women and young people.

"Looking at where these offences are occurring, we've seen an increase in residential premises (up 18 per cent or 1,567 additional incidents) and school premises (up 46 per cent or 748 additional incidents)," Fitzgerald said.

Only three of the bureau's 13 major criminal offence categories dropped in the year to March 2024 — robbery, stealing from motor vehicles and malicious damage to property.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

The Men’s Referral Service, operated by No to Violence, can be contacted on 1300 766 491.