Youth top list for crimes against person

MARCH 21, 2019
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
The youth cohort aged 15 to 19 have topped the list for ‘crimes against the person’ in Victoria, new figures show.
‘Crimes against the person’ include homicides, assaults, sex offences, abduction, robbery, blackmail, stalking and dangerous acts.
The 15-19 age group is accused of 6855 crimes against the person in the year to December 31, according to the Crime Statistics Agency figures released on Thursday.
The 25-29 group followed, with 6601 incidents against the person, while 6279 were recorded in the 30-34 year old group.
“There’s a problem there, there’s no doubt about that,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told 3AW radio.
“It’s quite a significant issue.”
Mr Patton said the force had undertaken a range of initiatives to address youth crime.
Overall, the number of criminal offences recorded in Victoria rose slightly last year.
Recorded offences rose by 1.7 per cent to 512,594, in the 2018 calendar year.
Family incidents, which include family violence, abuse and sex offending, jumped 5.7 per cent, from 75,055 to 79,348.
“Family violence has been a major concern certainly for the prison system for a number of years,” Corrections Commissioner Emma Cassar told ABC Radio.
“We’re working as best as we can to provide treatment to those perpetrators within the system.
“It is a growing concern.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said the rise in family violence incidents related to court order breaches and more specialist police in the system catching offenders.
“”This is the number one law-and-order issue in our state and indeed our nation. Victims and survivors of family violence having the confidence to come forward,” he told reporters.
“The reference particularly to the numbers of orders that have been breached is a direct result of the investments we’ve made and that specialist capability we’ve put into Victoria Police.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Police Minister David Southwick said the 15-19 age group topping the list for violent crimes against the person and its relationship with the rise in drug use and possession required urgent attention.
“If we don’t take urgent remedial action now, this 15 to 19 year old cohort will become more hardened and violent criminals in later years,” he said.