TVNZ One News 16 June 2021
Key facts
• Nearly a third of all adults became victims of crime last year
• Only a quarter of all crime was reported to police
• 2% of all those surveyed experienced sexual assault in the last 12 months, with three quarters of those against women. Three quarters of sexual assault victims did not think the incident was a crime
• People with disabilities were significantly more likely to experience crime
• Māori were significantly more likely to experience crime, with a higher proportion victimised each year than any other ethnic group. 38% of Māori were victims of crime, compared to 30% of the New Zealand population
• 37% of people with diverse sexualities reported being a victim of a crime, with the amount of bisexual people who had been a victim of a crime at 47%.
Nearly 30 per cent of adults were victims of crime in the last year, while Māori, people with disabilities and those who are sexually diverse were more likely to be victims, according to new crime data.
The Ministry of Justice survey also showed burglaries fell after the Covid-19 lockdown.
It compared data from 2018 to 2020, with 7425 New Zealanders over age 15 questioned about personal or household crime experienced in the last 12 months.
The report also found that just two per cent of New Zealand adults experienced a third of all crime.
Only a quarter of all crime was reported to police, the report suggested, with theft of motor vehicles having the highest likelihood (91 per cent) of being reported, while reporting of sexual offences at just eight per cent.
Reasons for not reporting interpersonal violence, sexual assault and physical offence incidents were shame, embarrassment and further humiliation, or fear of retaliation or that it would make it worse.
Three quarters of sexual assault victims did not think the incident was a crime.
Two per cent of all those surveyed experienced sexual assault in the last 12 months, with three quarters of those against women.
“Sexual assault affected adults in all population groups, but some more than others,” the report stated.
“Sexual assault affected both people with diverse sexualities and females aged 15–19 at more than four times the national average (nine per cent compared with two per cent).”
People with disabilities were significantly more likely to experience crime.
Thirty-seven per cent of people with diverse sexualities reported being a victim of a crime, with the amount of bisexual people who had been a victim of a crime at 47 per cent.
Māori were significantly more likely to experience crime, with a higher proportion victimised each year than any other ethnic group.
Thirty-eight per cent of Māori were victims of crime, compared to 30 cent of the New Zealand population.
READ MORE: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/m-ori-disabled-sexually-diverse-more-likely-victims-crime-new-data-shows
