SEXUAL assault by known perpetrators is still an under reported crime say victim advocates despite a greater focused attention on family violence.
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Despite Ballarat seeing a reduced crime rate in the latest Crime Statistics Agency figures released last week, assaults were one of the few areas to climb, while sexual assaults also remained relatively steady.
Ballarat’s Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) operations director Shireen Gunn said without question the majority of sexual assaults occur between known parties.
“In the majority of reported cases of sexual assault, the perpetrator is someone known to the victim/survivor,” Ms Gunn said.
“While random attacks can receive a high level of media coverage when reported, they are only a small percentage of sexual assaults with the majority of sexual assaults occurring from people known to the victim or a family member.
“Sexual assault is recognised as an under reported crime which affects the accurate nature of the reported figures.
“Most of the adult clients who choose to attend our centre choose not to report. For children and young people up to the age of 18 mandatory reporting rules apply.”
Ballarat Family Violence Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Coxall said family violence had increased in numbers in the last year, whereas other assaults had decreased.
“We’ve seen an increase of five per cent in the last 12 months of which we have had a high clearance rate,” he said.
“About 52 per cent of all family violence assaults are what are known as unlawful assaults, the lowest level offending, while 23 per cent recklessly cause injury.
“A state trend is that family violence assaults are climbing and on the face of it, it seems alarming, but we do believe that the myriad of improvements seen since the Royal Commission is making a difference and there is more confidence in reporting it.
“But at some stage, we will have to see a plateau in the level of offending and then we need to start seeing a decrease.”
Ms Gunn agreed saying there was more awareness of reporting of assaults.
“I would say that this is an indication of people’s awareness around sexual assault and supports that are available to them that has led to the increase of reports rather than an increase of sexual assaults,” she said.
