Murders In Australia: Counting The Victims

Homicide and related offences, including murder, are a tragic occurrence in Australia, as they are elsewhere. In 2023, there were 409 victims of homicide and related offences recorded by police across the country, a 5% increase from 2022. This figure includes murder, attempted murder, and manslaughter. The rate of homicide and related offences in Australia has fluctuated over time, with a general upward trend. Understanding the prevalence, nature, and risk factors of homicide is crucial for designing effective policies and programs to prevent these crimes and protect those at risk.

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Homicide rates in 2023

Homicide rates in Australia have been a cause for concern, with a focus on violence against women and Indigenous people. As of November 17, 2023, 49 women had been killed in Australia due to violence, with 28 allegedly killed by male intimate partners or ex-partners. This data, collected by the activist project Counting Dead Women Australia, highlights the ongoing issue of intimate partner violence in the country.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 79 victims of homicide and related offences in New South Wales in 2023, unchanged from the previous year. In South Australia, there were 48 victims of homicide and related offences, an increase of 19 victims from 2022. The majority (54%) of these cases were attempted murders, and a quarter (25%) were family and domestic violence (FDV) related.

Indigenous women in Australia are particularly vulnerable, with a hospitalisation rate for assault-related injuries 32 times higher than that of non-Indigenous women. They are also eight times more likely to be murdered. While data from the National Homicide Monitoring Program indicates a reduction in intimate partner homicide, the issue remains prevalent, with one woman killed by an intimate partner every two weeks in Australia.

The Australian Institute of Criminology reported 262 homicide incidents in Australia between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, an increase from the previous year. The female intimate partner homicide rate during this period was 0.43 per 100,000, the second-highest in the last decade. The killing of a parent was also a frequent type of domestic homicide.

Overall, the homicide rates in Australia in 2023 highlight the ongoing issue of violence, particularly against women and Indigenous people. While there have been efforts to address this issue, such as the introduction of a text line for domestic violence service and paid leave for family and domestic violence, the numbers indicate that more needs to be done to protect vulnerable populations and reduce homicide rates in the country.

Murder weapons used

Australia's homicide rate has been declining and reached a historic low in 2013-14. The rate decreased from 1.8 per 100,000 people in 1989-90 to 1 per 100,000 in 2013-14. In 2023, there were 409 victims of homicide and related offences recorded by police in Australia, with 48 of those being in South Australia.

The weapons/methods used in homicide have remained relatively unchanged over the years. The most common types of weapons used in homicide in Australia are weapons of opportunity, such as knives or sharp instruments, and hands and/or feet. Knives were involved in almost a quarter (24%) of homicides in 2023. In 2004-05, females were more likely to be killed with a knife or sharp instrument (37%), followed by being beaten to death with hands and/or feet (27%).

Firearms are not the main weapon of choice in homicides in Australia. The use of guns features in only 14% of homicides, while globally, about 40% of homicides are caused by firearms. Stab wounds (38%) and beatings (25%) are the two leading causes of homicide in Australia.

Domestic homicides make up the largest number of homicides in Australia. Domestic homicide refers to the unlawful killing of a person in an incident involving the death of a family member or other person in a domestic relationship, including people with a current or former intimate relationship. In 2023, 38% of homicide and related offences were family and domestic violence (FDV) related. In 2022, there were 41 recorded intimate partner homicides and related offences in Australia (excluding data from Western Australia), with about three times as many females (28) as males (11).

Family and domestic violence

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines family violence as violence that occurs within a domestic or familial context. Family members can include partners who live together or have lived together, carers, foster carers, and co-residents. The ABS's Personal Safety Survey (PSS) provides an estimate of the number of Australians who have been victims of FDV. The most recent PSS, conducted between March 2021 and May 2022, found that an estimated 3.8 million Australian adults (20% of the population) reported experiencing physical and/or sexual family and domestic violence since the age of 15. This included 2.2 million people (11.3%) who experienced violence from a partner, 1.1 million (5.9%) from a boyfriend, girlfriend, or date, and 1.4 million (7%) from another family member.

FDV is most common when perpetrated against women by men. Over 1 in 4 women (27% or 2.7 million) have experienced FDV since the age of 15, compared to 1 in 8 men (12% or 1.1 million). The proportion of women who experienced partner violence decreased from 1.7% in 2016 to 0.9% in 2021-22, while the proportion of women who experienced violence by any intimate partner also decreased during this period. In 2021-22, an estimated 3.6 million Australian adults (19% of the population) had experienced emotional abuse at least once by a partner since the age of 15, with a higher proportion of women (23% or 2.3 million) than men (14% or 1.3 million).

There are legal responses to FDV in Australia, including civil and criminal proceedings in state and territory courts. Civil proceedings can result in domestic violence orders (DVOs) to protect victims, while criminal proceedings can punish offenders. Australia's federal family law courts can also make civil personal protection injunctions for the protection of a child or party to family law proceedings. FDV is considered a priority in child-related and financial proceedings. Some responses are designed to work with perpetrators to hold them accountable and support them in changing their behaviour.

National statistics help to understand the gravity of the FDV situation in Australia, but many incidents go unreported, so the true extent of the problem may be much worse than reported. In 2021-22, 39% (or 108,000) of people seeking help from specialist homelessness services had experienced FDV. Indigenous people were 32 times more likely to be hospitalised for family violence than non-Indigenous people, and in 2017, the majority of Indigenous assault victims recorded by police were victims of family violence.

Attempted murder cases

While there is no specific data on attempted murder cases in Australia, there are some statistics on victims of attempted murder. In 2023, there were 409 victims of homicide and related offences recorded by police in Australia, with 54% of these involving the use of a weapon and 24% involving a knife. Of these, 38% were family and domestic violence (FDV) related, with 157 victims.

In South Australia, specifically, there were 48 victims of homicide and related offences in 2023, with 54% of these being attempted murder cases (26 victims). Again, a quarter (12 victims) of these were FDV-related.

In 2022, there were 41 recorded intimate partner homicides and related offences in Australia (excluding data from Western Australia). In this year, there were 42 victims of attempted murder, with twice as many females as males (29 females and 13 males).

Attempted murder is a serious offence in Australia, and the country has strict laws regarding attempts to commit offences. The common law requirement of proximity in attempts is a subject of contention, with various "tests" proposed by courts to determine when preparation ends and the criminal attempt begins. The critical question is whether the defendant's conduct was "more than merely preparatory".

There have been several notable cases of murder and attempted murder in Australia, dating back to the 19th century. For example, in 1880, John James MacGregor Greer shot his wife, Annice, M. A. Louis Soudry, and himself at the Melbourne Opera House. In 1891, Frederick Bailey Deeming, an English gasfitter, murdered his new wife, Emily, in Melbourne, burying her body under the hearth. In 1942, an American soldier, Eddie Leonski, murdered three women in Melbourne in what became known as the Brownout murders. He was executed under American military law.

Murder rate increase since 2017

Australia has seen a worrying upward trend in its murder rate since 2017, with a 4.6% increase in the murder/homicide rate from 2017 to 2018, according to statistics. The rate per 100,000 population continued to rise, with a small increase of 0.29% from 2018 to 2019, reaching 0.89.

More recent data from 2023 shows a mixed picture, with some states seeing an increase in murders, while others remain stable or have not reported data. Overall, the country recorded 409 victims of homicide and related offences in 2023, a 5% increase from 2022. This figure includes victims of attempted murder and manslaughter, with the majority involving the use of a weapon, and nearly a quarter involving a knife.

In New South Wales, the number of victims of homicide and related offences remained stable at 79 from the previous year. However, the state saw a 10% increase in the number of assault victims, with a rise in the victimisation rate from 852 to 917 per 100,000 persons.

South Australia, on the other hand, experienced a significant surge in homicide cases, recording 48 victims in 2023, representing a notable increase of 19 victims compared to the previous year. This rise includes a 54% share of attempted murders and a quarter of family and domestic violence-related cases. The state also witnessed an 11% increase in sexual assault cases, with a rise in the victimisation rate from 100 to 109 per 100,000 persons.

While the data reveals concerning trends in certain states, it is important to acknowledge that the overall murder rate in Australia remains relatively low in a global context. Nonetheless, the recent increases in violent crimes, including assault and sexual assault, highlight the need for continued vigilance and effective crime prevention strategies.

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