What Caused the Decrease in Sexual Assault Clear-Up Rates?

• NCJ Number: 228013
• Author(s): Kate O'Brien; Craig Jones; Victor Korabelnikoff
• Date Published: December 2008
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Crime and Justice Bulletin: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice No. 125, December 2008

Annotation

This study explored three possible reasons for the decrease in sexual assault incidents recorded and cleared from 1995 to 2006 in New South Wales (NSW).

Abstract

The key findings that emerged from this study included: (1) there was no evidence that the decline in the sexual assault clear-up rate was due to an increase in time taken by police to identify, arrest, and prosecute offenders; (2) there was little evidence that the decline in sexual assault clear-up rates was due to a change in the way police defined "cleared" status; and (3) the decline in the clear-up rate appeared to be largely attributable to a decrease in the number and proportion of cases where police laid charges against an offender. Over the last decade or so, there has been a marked decline in the proportion of sexual assault incidents cleared by the NSW Police Force. With the exception of St. George-Sutherland, there were statistically significant decreases in clear-up rates in each NSW statistical division or subdivision between 1995 and 2006. The decrease in clear-up rates was uniquely associated with offenses of a sexual nature. This study assessed three plausible reasons for the decrease in sexual assault clear-up rates during this time frame. Tables, figures, references, and appendix