Assault a police officer on duty

Legislation: Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic) s 51(2)

Maximum penalty: 6 months imprisonment or 60 penalty units

Period: 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of an offence
On SACStat, a case is a collection of one or more charges sentenced at a hearing

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 651 charges of assault a police officer on duty were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was an adjourned undertaking (31.6% or 206 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 513 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least one charge of assault a police officer on duty. Among the 513 cases, 335 people were male and 178 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was an adjourned undertaking (32.2% or 165 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Figure 1: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 651 charges

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 1 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 2: Imprisonment lengths for charges of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 23 charges

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of assault a police officer on duty

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment)

See Table 2 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 3: Community correction order lengths for charges of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 113 charges

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 3 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 4: Fine amounts for charges of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 26 charges

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing fine amounts for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 4 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 5: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 651 charges

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 5 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 6: Number of charges of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 651 charges

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 6 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 7: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 23 charges

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 7 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 8: Average fine amounts for charges of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 26 charges

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing fines amounts each year for charges of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 8 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9A: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 513 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9A in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9B: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 335 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9B in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9C: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 178 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for female offenders for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9C in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9D: Sentencing outcomes for people aged under 25 for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 101 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged under 25 for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9D in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9E: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 376 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9E in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9F: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 34 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 55 and over for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 9F in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 10: Imprisonment lengths for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 130 cases, including imprisonment only (88 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (42 cases).

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 10 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 11: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 88 cases

Note: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 11 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 12: Community correction order lengths for cases of assault a police officer on duty

Number: 76 cases

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 12 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 13: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 513 cases

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 13 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 14: Number of cases of assault a police officer on duty for all people by financial year

Number: 513 cases

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 14 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 15: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 130 cases

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See Table 15 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 16: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of assault a police officer on duty by financial year

Number: 5 cases

Note: NPP Cases in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of assault a police officer on duty

See 16 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.