Sexual assault victims in Queensland have hit a 32-year high, as new data reveals the state remains the nation leader in victims of crime.
The figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show there were 289,449 victims in Queensland in 2024, compared to 289,657 in the previous year.
Prior to being elected last year, Premier David Crisafulli staked his leadership on reducing the 2023 ABS victims of crime figure.
During last year’s election campaign David Crisafulli staked his leadership on reducing the number of victims of crime. (ABC News: Cameron Lang)
He walked back that promise to resign on the eve of the poll, qualifying that it would be “per capita”.
The latest release encompasses 10 months of the former Labor administration, and just two months of the Crisafulli government.
The LNP’s flagship adult crime, adult crime policy was not legislated until December, meaning the figures do not demonstrate the results of the youth crime crackdown.
The ABS found sexual assault victims were up 11 per cent to over 9,300, the largest number in the 32-year series.
Homicide and related offences dropped by 17 victims in 2024 from the previous year to 94.
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Assault victims were up 5 per cent, and other theft victims, typically accounting for minor offences, was marginally up to the highest recorded point.
More than half of those offences occurred at a retail location.
The ABS only started collecting data for assaults from 2022, which led to inflation in victim numbers from that period onwards.
Robbery victims were down 7 per cent, victims of unlawful entry were down 9 per cent, and motor vehicle theft victims were down 4 per cent.
The data shows victims of homicide and related offences dropped by 17 in 2024. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
No one ‘popping champagne corks’
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said the decrease in victims was encouraging, but was the first to acknowledge there was work to be done.
“When you factor in population growth, that is an overall reduction of 2.25 per cent,” she said.
“But ultimately certain categories of offending in that Australian Bureau of Statistics data have gone up.
“No one is popping champagne corks at this result. It shows that we still have a long way to go.
Ms Gerber was asked if the former Labor government deserved any credit for the drop in victims. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
Ms Gerber said the data demonstrated there had been a “serious lack of focus on domestic and family violence”, and cited the legislation the government introduced to parliament last week which aimed to “provide better protections to women and children.”
Ms Gerber was asked if the former Labor government deserved any credit for the drop in victims.
“Ultimately, the people who stood up against the crime crisis, the people who stood up and called for change, were Queenslanders. So it’s Queenslanders who I credit,” she said.
Is there a clear answer to reducing youth crime?
Ms Gerber’s portfolio tasks her with reducing victims of crime, but she didn’t answer questions on a specific figure for how much she would bring the statistic down.
‘We didn’t do enough’
Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman was asked about the former Labor government’s legacy, in response to the data.
“We didn’t do enough, and we are now here today to call on the government, every one of them, to do more,” she said.
“These figures are shocking and distressing and heartbreaking, and we need to be doing more to keep Queenslanders safe.”
Shannon Fentiman says the figures are shocking, distressing and heartbreaking. (ABC News)
Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick said the latest total victims of crime figure is the number the premier should be held to.
“As David Crisafulli often does, he will try and cherry pick the data. He’ll try and be slippery with the truth. He’ll try and use a proportion of the Queensland population,” Mr Dick said.
“He’ll try and use other data that he will cherry pick to avoid his responsibility, but now we have the number, and that is the number against which he will be held to account.”
Mr Crisafulli was criticised by criminologists in July, after creating a new definition of what a victim was with a new data set.
He claimed victim numbers had fallen by almost 6 per cent in the first six months of 2025, compared to the first six months of 2024.
The new statistics were derived from Queensland Police data, adding together victims of offences against the person, unlawful entry, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Other theft was excluded, by far the largest victim category.