In 2021-22 an estimated 14% (2.8 million) of people in Australia aged 18 years and over had experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 (ABS Personal Safety Survey 2021-22). A higher proportion of women had experienced sexual violence compared with men. It is estimated that over 1 in 5 women (22%) and 1 in 16 men (6%) in Australia have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.

According to the 2023-24 ABS Crime Victimisation Survey, an estimated 0.4% of adults aged 18 years and over in NSW experienced sexual assault. This rate is consistent with the rate reported in 2022-23 (0.4%). Of these, around one in five reported the most recent incident to the police.  

Trends in recorded incidents of sexual assault

Routinely collected administrative data serves as a valuable resource for monitoring the incidence of sexual violence reported to police. Police recorded sexual assault incidents have increased by an average of 10% each year over the 10 years to June 2025, with a sharp rise since 2020.

New Sexual Assault in NSW Quarterly Report: Explore our latest Sexual assault in NSW (PDF, 169.5 KB) Quarterly Report. This report provides a breakdown of recorded sexual assault incidents, including:

• Trends over the past 10 years - Long-term patterns and changes in reported incidents.
• Victim type - Insights into the demographics and characteristics of victims.
• Reporting pathway - Sexual assaults may be reported through a range of channels, including directly to police, via online platforms such as the Sexual Assault Reporting Option (SARO), or through mandatory reporting services like the Child Protection Helpline.

Pathways for reporting sexual assault to police

The police offer three pathways for reporting sexual assault: 1) In person – where a victim attends a police station to make a formal complaint. 2) Online – using the Sexual Assault Reporting Option (SARO) form online. 3) Mandatory reporting – if the victim is a child or young person, certain professionals are legally required to report the incident to the Child Protection Helpline.

The number of sexual assaults recorded by police increased by 10% per year in the ten years to June 2025. The majority of this increase came via new victim-sensitive reporting pathways (SARO), and child protection reports (including mandatory reports).  

Who are the victims of recorded sexual assault?

Resources: See the more detailed sexual assault inforgraphic: Sexual assault in NSW (PDF, 169.5 KB)

Progress through the Criminal Justice System

Over the past decade, public concern has grown over the low conviction rate for sexual assault in NSW. In 2022, 9,138 sexual assaults were reported to police, but only 1,016 resulted in convictions. This gap has been a consistent issue in the justice system. There are various stages of the criminal justice system between reporting a criminal incident and conviction. An incident can fail to proceed to the next level at each of these stages. For instance, an offence might be reported to police but the offender not found. Another reported offence might proceed all the way to trial but the defendant found not guilty.

The infographic shows the number of sexual offences at various stages of the criminal justice process, from the initial police report to final sentencing.

Read the full report: Attrition of sexual assaults from the New South Wales criminal justice system