Australia is a crime capital
21jul02
AUSTRALIA has topped the developed world as a crime hot spot, according to the United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute.
The institute said the percentage of Australians who have become victims of criminals has been steadily rising for more than a decade.
Australia's crime rate, excluding murders, was now significantly higher than the rate in the US.
In 1999, there were 39.5 common offences, ranging from car theft to robbery, reported for every 100 Americans. In the same year, 54.3 offences were reported for every 100 Australians.
Australia's crime rate was way above the average of 35.2 per 100 in developed countries. It was matched only by England and Wales.
The UN figures show Australia has steadily become a more dangerous place to live since the first survey, in 1989.
At the same time, most European countries and America became safer, or experienced unchanged rates of crime.
Car theft was one of the biggest problems. The Australian theft rate ran at double that of other countries.
However, Australia had a better record on consumer fraud and was one of the countries least affected by corruption.
But Australian women were more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other women, except those living in Scandinavia.
21jul02
AUSTRALIA has topped the developed world as a crime hot spot, according to the United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute.
The institute said the percentage of Australians who have become victims of criminals has been steadily rising for more than a decade.
Australia's crime rate, excluding murders, was now significantly higher than the rate in the US.
In 1999, there were 39.5 common offences, ranging from car theft to robbery, reported for every 100 Americans. In the same year, 54.3 offences were reported for every 100 Australians.
Australia's crime rate was way above the average of 35.2 per 100 in developed countries. It was matched only by England and Wales.
The UN figures show Australia has steadily become a more dangerous place to live since the first survey, in 1989.
At the same time, most European countries and America became safer, or experienced unchanged rates of crime.
Car theft was one of the biggest problems. The Australian theft rate ran at double that of other countries.
However, Australia had a better record on consumer fraud and was one of the countries least affected by corruption.
But Australian women were more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other women, except those living in Scandinavia.
