Statistics, Sources & Systemic Failures
Compiled April 2026 | Sources: ABS, AIC, Victorian Auditor-General
Key Statistics at a Glance
33% - The approximate share of assaults that are actually reported to police in Australia. Around two-thirds go unreported entirely.
61% - Of Victoria Police members who, in their own internal review, admitted they would NOT record a minor assault — directly violating the Victorian Crime Recording Standards.
50% - Of robberies that go unreported to police.
25% - Of burglaries that go unreported to police.
Victoria: A Documented Systemic Failure
Victoria Police Does Not Comply With National Recording Standards
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) officially removed Victoria's assault statistics from the national dataset more years than not over the last decade. The reason: Victoria Police does not follow the "prima facie" reporting standard required of every other Australian jurisdiction.
Prima facie reporting means: if it looks like a crime on its face, record it. Victoria Police historically investigated first — and only recorded a crime if they decided one had occurred. This means reported crimes simply disappeared from the system.
Victoria Police's Own Internal Review (2013)
A 2013 internal review titled 'Assessment of the Collection Recording and Reporting of Crime Data' found:
61% of members would not report a minor assault, even though this directly violates the Victorian Crime Recording Standards
Four of 14 constables interviewed in a subsequent audit admitted to investigating incidents further before recording them — even where a crime had clearly occurred on its face
Victoria Police had not reviewed prima facie reporting compliance since 2013
The ABS Formally Excluded Victorian Assault Data
The ABS stated in its official publication:
"For incidents of assault, Victoria differs from other jurisdictions in the interpretation and implementation of the NCRS. Some element of an investigation will be undertaken before deciding whether to record an incident... As a result of the comparability issues arising from this difference, a decision has been made not to make available assault data in National reports for Victoria."
What This Means in Plain Terms
The gap between crimes that happen and crimes that result in any action exists at every stage:
Stage 1 — Reporting gap: Most victims never report to police at all
Stage 2 — Recording gap: Of those who do report, many are never recorded in the system — particularly in Victoria
Stage 3 — Investigation gap: Of those recorded, many are filed as "investigation not finalised" indefinitely with no offender proceeded against
This is not a system that occasionally fails individuals. It is a system with documented, structural non-compliance — acknowledged by the ABS, the Victorian Auditor-General, and Victoria Police's own internal reviewers.
Sources
[1] Reporting Crime to the Police. Australian Institute of Criminology, Trends & Issues No. 68, 1997.
https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi68
[2] Crime Data (Performance Audit). Victorian Auditor-General's Office, 2018.
https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/crime-data
[3] Recorded Crime — Victims Methodology. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022.
https://www.abs.gov.au/methodologies/recorded-crime-victims-methodology/2022
[4] Crime Victimisation, 2024–25 Financial Year. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2025.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/crime-victimisation/latest-release
[5] Measuring Victims of Crime: A Guide to Using Administrative and Survey Data. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/research/measuring-victims-crime-guide-using-administrative-and-survey-data
Prepared for advocacy and public interest disclosure purposes. All statistics drawn from government and academic sources as cited.
Notes on sources:
*Victorian Auditor-General's Office — Crime Data Performance Audit (2018)
This is the most direct source. The Auditor-General's report explicitly states that the ABS excludes Victorian assault data because Victoria doesn't comply with prima facie reporting standards.
https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/crime-data
* ABS — Recorded Crime Victims Methodology (multiple years)
The ABS itself states it in the explanatory notes of its own annual publication, noting that Victoria's assault recording approach differs from all other jurisdictions and is therefore excluded from national comparisons. This appears in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023 editions.
https://www.abs.gov.au/methodologies/recorded-crime-victims-methodology/2022