BB155

Author Jackie Fitzgerald
Published June 2021
Report Type Bureau Brief No. BB155
Subject Sexual assault and violence
Keywords Sexual assault and violence

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Summary

Background

The number of sexual assault incidents recorded by NSW Police jumped dramatically in March 2021, up 46% from February 2021 and 65% from March 2020. The sharp increase most likely reflects a temporary increase in victim willingness to report sexual assault due to heightened public attention on sexual assault and consent (rather than an increase in prevalence). The spike aligns with saturated media coverage of a number of high profile sexual assault allegations which came to light in late February and March 2021.