New South Wales has reported its highest murder rate in a decade, driven by a surge in violent crimes over the past year, notably the tragic Bondi Westfield stabbing incident. According to the latest quarterly report from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), a total of 85 murders occurred in 2024, marking the most significant figure since 93 killings were recorded in 2014.
Of the 85 victims, 46 were men, 26 were women, and 13 were young people or children. A concerning 45.9 per cent of these murders were associated with domestic violence, with 22 victims involved in eight separate multiple-victim incidents. This escalation contrasts sharply with the historical average of around two such incidents annually over the preceding 14 years.
BOSCAR’s executive director, Jackie Fitzgerald, highlighted that the spike in murder rates can be attributed to an unusual number of events resulting in multiple fatalities, with the Bondi Junction shopping centre tragedy accounting for six victims in a single episode. Fitzgerald classified these figures as an “unfortunate outlier” in the broader crime statistics, underscoring that the recent surge does not reflect a general upward trend in other crime categories.
Furthermore, the report revealed that domestic violence assaults have increased by an average of 3.1 per cent annually over the past decade, while sexual assaults have risen by 8.8 per cent annually. Despite these concerning trends, the overall rate of major crime in New South Wales has remained steady over the last two years, with 13 major crime categories showing little fluctuation. Fitzgerald noted that many crimes have stabilised after years of decline, with incidents of robbery, break and enter, and property damage significantly lower than a decade ago.