Domestic violence up in Australia's NSW

Domestic violence is on the rise in Australia's state of New South Wales, along with prostitution, amphetamine use and cattle stealing, according to the latest crime statistics released on Tuesday.

Despite this, the latest quarterly report from the Bureau of Crime Statistics showed that overall crime rates are stable or falling for the 10th year in a row.

Eleven of 17 major crime categories, such as break and enters and armed robberies, were trending downwards in the 24 months to March 2011.

Domestic violence was the exception, bucking the trend with a 3. 3 percent increase in Sydney and a 1.2 percent increase statewide.

"It is great to see the majority of crime statistics falling or remaining stable, however, domestic violence remains a problem trending upwards," Police Minister Mike Gallacher said in a statement.

The report highlights a clear difference between Sydney and the rest of the state, with a significant increase in crime reported in regional parts of NSW.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of stock thefts in parts of NSW, with a 21.7 percent jump in areas including Murrumbidgee, Murray and southeastern parts of NSW.

Source: Xinhua

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