NCJ Number
120779
Date Published
1989
Length
25 pages
Annotation
An analysis of trends in minor and serious assaults with knives and other weapons in Victoria, Australia from 1977-88 indicate that the existing laws do not require major changes, but that they could be improved in several ways.
Abstract
The analysis focused on weapons that can be used offensively but that also have legitimate uses. These weapons include martial arts equipment, fishing knives, scissors, and screwdrivers. The data show no significant increase in the rate of assaults with weapons, although serious assaults have increased significantly. However, the accuracy and consistency of the data are open to question due to the largely subjective nature of the categories used and changes in offense classifications. Nevertheless, the existing law could be improved by treating different types of objects differently, limiting the circumstances in which a defendant can claim that an object was carried for defensive purposes, and clarifying provisions of the vagrancy law. Tables, footnotes, and appended list of prohibited weapons.