Even though Australia is a safe and relatively wealthy country like anywhere in the world it’s no stranger to criminal activity. Crime can take place anywhere at any time – and can involve willful ignorance of the law – or you yourself could be breaking the law and not even know it. While a majority of crimes that are detected show clear trends, there are thousands of crimes that go undetected every day – from high-level fraud and murder with intent to more trivial offences like traffic offences.
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The truth is – not as accurate as you’d think. That’s because not all crimes are necessarily reported, and there’s always a level of human error in crime reporting which can influence crime rates. Factors like the willingness of a victim or witness to actually report accurately or even report at all also affect the authenticity of statistics.
Hidden crimes are exactly what they sound like. They’re crimes that go unreported, due to either no one actually witnessing them or for some reason weren’t reported at all. Some crimes like theft often get reported more than drug or sexual assault cases, the impact the crime has on victims plays a role in the likelihood of that crime making its way into the books. For example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 90% of households whose car was stolen reported the crime to the police, whereas only 39% of sexual assault victims reported their experience to the police.
Every year an immeasurable number of crimes go undetected by authorities, making accurate reporting virtually impossible. Demographics also play a role in influencing what crimes go reported and which ones don’t. For example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a higher mistrust of the legal system and tend not to engage with authorities. Common crimes that go undetected are:
Crimes can be easily categorized into groups, depending on the associated charge – between 2018 and 2019 there were a total of 394,466 offenders proceeded against by police around Australia. Since 2013, there have been three groups of criminal offences that have dominated:
Punishments for these crimes depend on several different factors. Here’s what typically affects the outcome in court:
Punishments for these crimes can range from medium and heavy fines to multiple years or life in prison. Children under the age of 10 cannot be charged with a criminal offence and even up to the age of 18 there are concessions depending on the circumstances. Across many Australian states there are mandatory sentencing laws that can result in a minimum sentence no matter how much legal support you have in court. For example, a violent offence such as assault carries a mandatory prison sentence. Having access to a criminal lawyer is extremely helpful in ensuring a just outcome in court.
If you’re facing any kind of legal issue, whether it’s a court order or the police wanting to ask you a few questions – it’s important to get qualified legal assistance before you say anything to authorities. Reach out to a firm that has a good record, criminal lawyers Perth are waiting to assist people in need. If you’re facing charges, don’t leave it to chance.
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