Homicide in Australia 2016–17

Abstract

The National Homicide Monitoring Program is Australia’s only national data collection on homicide incidents, victims and offenders. This report describes the 231 homicide incidents recorded by Australian state and territory police (except Australian Capital Territory) between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. During this 12-month period there were 244 victims of homicide and 274 identified offenders. The victim and offender were known to each other in 78 percent of homicide incidents recorded; a quarter of homicide incidents involved intimate partners. The homicide rate in Australia in 2016–17 was 0.94 per 100,000, the lowest rate recorded since the commencement of the program.

Contents

  • Acknowledgements
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Incidents
    • Homicide classification
    • Location
    • Motive
    • Preceding crime
    • Weapon use
    • Alcohol and illicit drug use
  • Victims
    • Gender and age
    • Indigenous status
    • Country of birth
    • Cause of death
    • Relationship with the primary offender
  • Offenders
    • Gender and age
    • Indigenous status
    • Previous offending
    • Domestic violence
  • Distribution of homicide incidents by gender and Indigenous status
  • References
  • Appendix