We have released a new set of Sentencing Snapshots for six offences sentenced in the County and Supreme Courts of Victoria.
The six offences are:
- rape
- sexual assault
- persistent sexual abuse
- sexual penetration of a child aged 12 to under 16
- sexual penetration of a child aged under 12
- incest.
The latest Snapshots cover sentences imposed in the five years to 30 June 2022. They include statistics on sentence types and lengths imposed on the most serious offence in a case (the ‘principal offence’).
All but one of the six offences (sexual assault) have an applicable standard sentence. A standard sentence is a ‘numerical guidepost’ that courts consider when sentencing a standard sentence offence. Standard sentences were introduced in 2018.
Court proceedings were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic over the five-year period covered in these Snapshots. For example, a dip in case numbers following March 2020 may reflect delays in court proceedings.
The new Sentencing Snapshots are available for download from our website.
