Queensland crime victim numbers fall in first annual data under adult crime, adult time policy
Quick Look
- Queensland recorded 277,411 crime victims in 2025, a 4% decrease from 2024 and below the benchmark Premier David Crisafulli tied to his job performance.
- The decline follows the government's adult crime, adult time policy, though opposition critics accuse the government of cherry-picking data by switching metrics.
- Sexual assault victims dropped 2% to just over 9,000, and homicide victims fell to 90, with DFV-related cases under scrutiny.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Queensland government's adult crime, adult time policy, legislated in late 2024, treats children who commit serious crimes as adults for sentencing purposes. Premier David Crisafulli had previously pledged to resign if victim numbers did not fall below the 2023 ABS figure of 289,657 by the end of his term, later modifying the benchmark to a per capita measure.
Victim of crime numbers have fallen in the first set of annual data to capture the impact of the Queensland government's adult crime, adult time policy.
The figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are already below the benchmark Premier David Crisafulli tied his job to, which he promised to achieve by the end of the term.
There were 277,411 victims of crime recorded in Queensland in 2025, more than 12,000 fewer than the 289,449 victims recorded in the previous year.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington labelled the data "green shoots" in the LNP government's crime crackdown.
"Every victim is one victim too many," she said.
"But as a government, we consider this as a message to keep going, to stay strong, to stand on the side of victims in Queensland.
Heard victims 'loud and clear'
The ABS figures show around a 4 per cent drop from 2025 to 2024.
The government has consistently championed an almost 10 per cent decrease by comparing Queensland police statistics from financial year 2023-24 to financial year 2025-26.
Opposition leader Steven Miles criticised the changing of metrics, claiming there had been "cherry picking" of data.
"Today we're back to calendar year with claims that it's down 4 per cent, in line with trends across the rest of the country and indeed previous years," he said.
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber claimed the soon-to-be-legislated breach bail, go to jail policy would further drive declines.
That will see children and adults who commit serious crimes while on bail face a mandatory 12 months behind bars.
"Queenslanders and victims of crime have told us, and we've heard them loud and clear," Ms Gerber said.
"They want to see us keep going with stronger laws that continue to drive down the number of Queenslanders who experience crime in this state."
After recording a 32-year high in 2024, the ABS data showed sexual assault victims decreased by two per cent to just over 9,000.
The sexual assault victimisation rate, how many victims there were per 100,000 people, decreased for the first time since 2019, from 167 to 162 persons.
The figures are the first yearly statistics since the LNP government's signature adult crime, adult time policy was legislated in late 2024.
The laws mean children guilty of serious crimes, including murder, manslaughter, and rape, are convicted as adults and face harsher sentences.
During campaigning as opposition leader, Mr Crisafulli promised to resign as premier if victim numbers were not less than the 2023 ABS figure of 289,657 by the end of his first term.
He walked that back on the eve of the 2024 election day, with a qualifier that it would be "per capita".
DFV murders
There were 90 victims of homicide in 2025, down from 92 in the previous year, with just under a third of those related to domestic and family violence.
Amid a reported drop in DFV assaults, shadow women's minister Shannon Fentiman said the statistics belied the true state of affairs.
"Does any Queenslander seriously believe that domestic and family violence related assaults are going down at a time when other assaults are up, at a time when domestic and family violence services have said they've never been busier, their wait lists have never been longer," she said.
"When we continue to see women and children in harm's way at record levels, and continue to see too many women being murdered at the hands of a partner or former partner."
The majority of homicide victims were male, and the most common age group involved was between 35 and 54-years-old.
Victim numbers were down across the board for serious crimes.
Robbery and burglary had the steepest falls, down 13 and 12 per cent respectively, following a trend of decreases seen since 2023.
Assault, sexual assault, and motor vehicle theft all saw marginal falls.
Since coming to power, the government has released several of its own crime victim numbers using Queensland Police data.
It has been criticised by the opposition and experts for changing metrics and was forced to apologise last year after releasing incorrect figures.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Queensland government will continue to emphasize declining crime victim numbers as evidence of policy success
Likely · Within months
Opposition criticism of the government's crime statistics methodology will persist in parliamentary debates and public discourse
Very likely · Within weeks
The proposed breach bail, go to jail policy will be legislated and implemented during the current parliamentary term
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific impact has the adult crime, adult time policy had on different crime categories beyond the overall decline?
- How do the ABS figures compare to long-term trends in Queensland crime victimization prior to 2023?
- What are the opposition's alternative metrics for measuring crime trends, and how do they differ from the government's approach?
- What evidence supports the claim that domestic and family violence services are experiencing record demand despite reported declines in DFV assaults?
