Sexual Assault and Retail Theft Surge as Youth Crime Falls in Regional NSW

New crime figures show sexual assault up 136 percent since 2015 and retail theft climbing steadily, even as property offences like break-ins and car theft fall.

Stock image of New South Wales Police badges in Sydney, Aug. 16, 2013. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Sexual assault is rising at a concerning rate in New South Wales (NSW), with police reports more than doubling in a decade and still climbing.

Reports of sexual assault rose 8.8 percent, continuing a decade-long upward trend that has averaged 10 percent growth each year.