Data Snapshot: Attrition of stalking incidents through the criminal justice system

The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) has today released a new data snapshot report on stalking incidents. The report examines how many stalking offence incidents reported to police between 2016 to 2018 progressed through the justice system to be proven in court. 

The snapshot shows one in three (31%) stalking offence incidents reported to police was ultimately proven in court.

Most incidents progressed past the police investigation. Police identified and recorded an offender for 82% of reported incidents, and charged an offender in relation to two in three (67%) incidents. 

Although one in three incidents resulted in stalking charges being laid by police but not proven in court, the majority of these incidents resulted in other, non-stalking charges in the same case being proven, for example breaches of orders.

Two percent of incidents resulted in victim survivors withdrawing their complaint during the police investigation stage.

Family violence-related incidents and incidents that involved other, non-stalking offences were more likely to progress through the justice system.

For more information:

The paper Attrition of stalking offence incidents through the Victorian criminal justice system is available here.