A ground-breaking investigation by ABC News has revealed, for the first time, the outcome of nearly every sexual assault reported to the police in Australia between 2008 and 2017.
Alone among Australia’s states and territories, NSW Police do not record data on why a sexual assault investigation did not lead to arrest or other formal legal action. Across the rest of Australia, 1 in 5 investigations reports are withdrawn.
Over the 10-year period, Queensland Police rejected 20 per cent of sexual assault reports, while Tasmania rejected 5 per cent. In the ACT, the rate of rejected cases jumped considering over the years, from 3 per cent in 2010 to 21 per cent in 2017.
Source: New investigation reveals just how badly police have failed survivors of sexual assault