XN000022-1983-01-06 — Page 4

THURSDAY,

JAP

3

ر 198

CRIME VICTIMISATION SURVEY FINDINGS PUPLISHED

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THE OVERALL CRIME REPORTING RATE INCREASED FROM 18,2 PER CENT IN 1978 TO 28.6 PER CENT IN 1981.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE SECOND CRIME VICTIMISATION SURVEY, CARRIED OUT BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IN JANUARY LAST YEAR TO ASSESS THE LEVEL OF CRIMINAL VICTIMISATIONS IN 1981. THE SURVEY WAS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENTS OF ABOUT 19 000 HOUSEHOLDS, COMPRISING SOME 62 000 PERSONS AGED 12 AND OVER.

THE SURVEY FOLLOWED A SIMILAR ONE IN 1979 COVERING CRIMINAL VICTIMISATIONS IN 1978. BOTH WERE CONDUCTED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE. THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY ARE PUBLISHED IN A REPORT TITLED +CRIME AND ITS VICTIMS IN HONG KONG 1981+.

FOR SPECIFIC CRIMES, THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT REPORTING RATES RANGED FROM A HIGH OF 90 PER CENT FOR THEFT OF VEHICLES AND 62 PER CENT FOR SERIOUS ASSAULTS TO A LOW OF 13 PER CENT FOR THEFT FROM VEHICLES AND TWO PER CENT FOR OTHER HOUSEHOLD THEFT.

FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, A CATEGORY INCLUDING INTIMIDATION, BLACKMAIL, ROBBERY, ASSAULT AND RAPE, THE REPORTING RATE WAS 41 PER CENT. THE RATE WAS 37 PER CENT FOR PERSONAL CRIMES OF THEFT AND 15 PER CENT FOR HOUSEHOLD CRIMES.

GENERALLY. REPORTING PERCENTAGES TENDED TO INCREASE WITH THE VALUE OF LOSSES. INJURED VICTIMS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT CRIMES OF VIOLENCE.

COMMENTING ON THE REPORT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT ALTHOUGH THE PROPORTION OF CRIMES REPORTED TO THE POLICE VARIED GREATLY IN RELATION TO THEIR TYPE AND SEVERITY, CONSISTENT. REASONS WERE GIVEN FOR FAILING TO REPORT.

+THE MAJORITY OF THE VICTIMS - 57 PER CENT - SAID THEY DID NOT REPORT BECAUSE THE CRIME WAS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH AS THEY HAD SUFFERED NO, OR VERY LITTLE LOSS, HE SAID.

+ANOTHER 23 PER CENT DID NOT REPORT TO THE POLICE BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. AND 14 PER CENT FAILED TO NOTIFY THE POLICE BECAUSE REPORTING WAS TOO INCONVENIENT AND TIME-CONSUMING, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE THIRD CATEGORY SHOWED A MARKED IMPROVEMENT OVER THE 1978 FIGURES, WHEN 23 PER CENT OF THE VICTIMS CITED INCONVENIENCE AS THEIR MAIN REASON FOR NOT REPORTING.

+IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT, THAT AMONG THOSE WHO FELT THAT MAKING A REPORT WAS TOO INCONVENIENT AND TIME-CONSUMING, MORE THAN 84 PER CENT HAD NO ACTUAL EXPERIENCE OF REPORTING CRIME TO THE POLICE,+ HE SAID.

/THE SPOKESMAN