XN000022-1983-05-11 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1983

CRIMES WITHIN THE FAMILY DUE TO MANY REASONS

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CRIMES COMMITTED WITHIN THE FAMILY MAY BE DUE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF REASONS, ACCORDING TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

THESE REASONS RANGE +FROM PERSONALITY PROBLEMS, FINANCIAL WORRIES, COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN, AND DRUG ADDICTION TO INDULGENCE IN ALCOHOL, MENTAL DISTURBANCE AND MARITAL DISCORD, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY MRS SELINA CHOW, HE SAID THAT THE FORMAT IN WHICH CRIME STATISTICS WERE KEPT BY THE POLICE DID NOT ALWAYS ENABLE ONE TO IDENTIFY WHICH CRIMES WERE COMMITTED WITHIN THE FAMILY.

HOWEVER, IN CERTAIN MAJOR CATEGORIES IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAKE REASONABLE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF OFFENCES WHICH FELL WITHIN THIS DEFINITION, HE SAID.

ONE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF HOMICIDE CASES WAS +FAMILY AFFAIRS INCLUDING DISPUTES.+ IN 1982, OF THE 93 HOMICIDE CASES REPORTED TO THE POLICE, SEVEN WERE IN THIS CATEGORY, REPRESENTING 7.5 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL.

IN 1981, THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES WERE SIX OR 5.7 PER CENT OF A TOTAL OF 105 HOMICIDE CASES.

SO FAR AS SERIOUS ASSAULTS WERE CONCERNED, IN 1982, OUT OF A TOTAL OF 7 265 CASES, 513 OR 7.1 PER CENT WERE CLASSIFIED AS BEING DUE TO DISPUTES OF A DOMESTIC NATURE.

THIS COMPARED WITH 457 OR 7.3 PER CENT OUT OF A TOTAL OF 6 231 SUCH CASES IN 1981.

CASES INVOLVING CRUELTY TO CHILDREN TOTALLED 51 IN 1981 AND 59 IN 1982.

+THESE FIGURES DO NOT INDICATE ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CRIME WITHIN THE FAMILY, PARTICULARLY IF THE STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1983 ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT,+ MR CHAMBERS SAID.

THESE SHOW THAT ONE HOMICIDE, 99 SERIOUS ASSAULTS AND SEVEN CASES INVOLVING CRUELTY TO CHILDREN CAN BE SAID TO FALL WITHIN THIS CATEGORY.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT NO SPECIFIC INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES OF CRIMES WITHIN THE FAMILY AS SUCH HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT, BUT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE POLICE FORCE ANALYSED CRIME STATISTICS BY GROUPS IF THERE WAS REASON TO SUSPECT A TREND.

+NO PARTICULAR TREND IS DISCERNIBLE IN THE STATISTICS I HAVE JUST GIVEN,+ HE SAID.

/HE SAID