Adelaide University CENTRE FOR AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY RESEARCH

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TitleA 20-year retrospective analysis of trends in adult homicides in South Australia (2003–2022)
AuthorsLynch TH, van den Heuvel C, Stephenson L, Tuckwell GA, Watt J, Byard RW
Year2025
TypeJournal Article
AbstractMost research focuses on national homicide trends with limited state-specific analyses. As no retrospective studies on homicides in South Australia (SA) have been conducted since 1979, this study analysed trends in adult homicides in SA between 2003–2022. A review of 363 adult (≥18-years) homicide autopsy cases from Forensic Science SA (FSSA), demonstrated a mean population-adjusted homicide rate of 1.09 (SD ± 0.31) per 100,000 population; however, while there was a downward trend in the number of homicides, it did not reach statistical significance (R2 = 0.16, p = 0.07). Males represented 68.6% of cases (n = 249) and females 31.4% (n = 114), with mean sex-adjusted homicide rates of 1.51 (SD ± 0.24) and 0.67 (SD ± 0.24) per 100,000 population, respectively. Males represented a greater proportion in every age grouping except 85+. The most common lethal injuries were blunt force trauma (38.2%; n = 145) and sharp force trauma (33.7%; n = 128). There were significant relationships between the victim’s sex and offender–victim relationship (X2 (8, N = 137) = 46.6, p < 0.001), cause of death (X2 (5, N = 363) = 194, p < 0.001), injury location (f(6, 22.05) = 16, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.26), and number of stab/incised wounds (p = 0.005). Despite a downward trend in homicide rates, revising targeted interventions and public health policies are essential to protect at-risk population subgroups.
Journal TitleAustralian Journal of Forensic Sciences
Page Range1 - 11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2025.2552120
NotesThis article is open access and available from the publisher website:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00450618.2025.2552120

Reference
Lynch TH, van den Heuvel C, Stephenson L, Tuckwell GA, Watt J, Byard RW (2025). A 20-year retrospective analysis of trends in adult homicides in South Australia (2003–2022). Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 1 - 11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2025.2552120.