A recent publication by the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that Indigenous Australians account for a disproportionately high number of both homicide victims and offenders. Although Indigenous Australians represent approximately two per cent of the total Australian population, they accounted for 15.1 per cent of homicide victims and 15.7 per cent of homicide offenders over the 11-year period between July 1989 and June 2000. The rate per 100,000 for homicide victimisation of Indigenous persons fluctuated between 12.6 and 13.8 in the early 1990s. Declining in 1994-95, this rate has stabilised to 9 per 100,000 Indigenous persons. By contrast, the non-Indigenous homicide victimisation rate has remained between 1.3 and 1.8 per 100,000 over the same 11-year period. The report cited below lists other comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicides.
Comparison of Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicide victimisation rates, July 1989 to June 2000 [see attached PDF for graph]
Source
- Mouzos, J. 2001, "Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicides in Australia: a comparative analysis", Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 210, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra.