The number of sexual offences in Horsham has risen for the third year in a row, according to data from the Crime Statistics Agency.
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The Agency released key family violence data from the 2020-2021 financial year, including additional data on sexual offences in Victoria in December.
In the financial year ending in June 2021, the Horsham local government area recorded 93 sexual offences, at a rate of 465.8 per 100,000 people.
This was an increase from previous years; with 74 sexual offences in 2019-2020, and 63 sexual offences in 2018-2019.
The figure was the highest number of sexual offences the area had seen since 2018, which recorded 108 for the 2017-2018 financial year.
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Sexual offences increased in the Northern Grampians, from 31 in 2019-2020 to 58 in 2020-2021, and decreased in Hindmarsh from 31 in 2019-2020 to 15 in 2020-2021; Yarriambiack from 62 in 2019-2020 to 22 in 2020-2021, and West Wimmera from 29 in 2019-2020 to 29 in 2020-2021.
The data also found that one in three sexual offences recorded in Victoria were related to family violence.
State-wide, the number of sexual offences recorded by police rose by 10.8 per cent, up from 13,589 in 2019-20 to 15,062 in 2020-21.
Family incidents also rose across the state, increasing by 6 per cent from 82,205 in 2019-20 to 93,440 in 2020-21.
Larger increases were seen in the number of incidents recorded between former partners and where the victim was the child of the alleged perpetrator.
Crime Statistics Agency Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley noted the value of publication of sexual assault data through the Family Violence Database.
"For the first time, this year's database provides an in-depth look at sexual assault data in Victoria, including the overlaps between family violence and sexual assault" Ms Dowsley said.
"Monitoring and publication of this data is important for increasing understanding so responses to both sexual assault and family violence can continue to be improved."
To see the full data set, visit Crime Statistics Agency's COVID-19 Family Violence portal.
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