Question On Notice No. 149 asked in the Legislative Council on 3 June 2021 by Hon Peter Collier
Question Directed to the: Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Police
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
Will the Minister please provide the number of reported offences, for each of the following offence types, over the past five financial years (2015-2016 through to 2019-2020):
(a) homicide which were characterised as occurring in a family or domestic setting;
(b) sexual assaults which were characterised as occurring in a family or domestic setting; and
(c) sexual offences, by specific offence type, committed against children which were characterised as occurring in a family or domestic setting?
Answered on 4 August 2021
The Western Australia Police Force has more resources dedicated to preventing and investigating family violence and offences against children and encourages all victims to report to police. The Western Australia Police Force advises:
(a) In terms of the number of family violence related deaths in the financial years 2015-16 to 2019-20, there were 16 in 2015-16; 16 in 2016-17; 20 in 2017-18; 19 in 2018-19; and 15 in 2019-20.
Notes: These figures are for family violence (FV) related deaths as opposed to homicide. The death has occurred in the context of a family relationship and involves an offence, which may include manslaughter, dangerous driving causing death, assault causing death etc. The data is provisional and subject to revision.
(b) In terms of the number of family violence related sexual assaults in the financial years 2015-16 to 2019-20, there were 1 040 in 2015-16; 1 241 in 2016-17; 1 384 in 2017-18; 1 209 in 2018-19; and 1 422 in 2019-20
Note: The data is provisional and subject to revision.
(c) In terms of the number of family violence related sexual offences committed against children in the financial years 2015-16 to 2019-20:
· there were 661 sexual assault offences in 2015-16; 894 in 2016-17; 1 047 in 2017-18; 805 in 2018-19; and 979 in 2019-20;
· there were 21 non-assaultive sexual assault offences in 2015-16; 34 in 2016-17; 45 in 2017-18; 24 in 2018-19; and 47 in 2019-20;
· there were zero other non-assaultive sexual assault offences in 2015-16; zero in 2016-17; zero in 2017-18; 1 in 2018-19; and 1 in 2019-20; and
· there were zero child exploitation material offences in 2015-16; 1 in 2016-17; zero in 2017-18; zero in 2018-19; and 3 in 2019-20.
Note: The data is provisional and subject to revision.
Notes: The number of recorded offences for a period comprises all offences reported to or becoming known to police during that period and may include offences committed during earlier periods. The application of the family relationship flag to an incident is dependent upon the recording officer and the definition of family relationship used by the WA Police Force at the time.