Arson

Legislation: Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 197(6)

Maximum penalty: 15 years imprisonment

Period: 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court

Charges

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Cases

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All outcomes

Males

Females

Aged 18 to 24

Aged 25 to 54

Aged 55 and over

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 400 charges of arson were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was imprisonment (49.2% or 197 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 327 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least one charge of arson. Among the 327 cases, 271 people were male and 56 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was imprisonment (34.3% or 112 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.

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of arson — **Figure 1**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of arson
**Number: 400 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of arson — **Figure 2**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of arson
**Number: 49 charges**

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for charges of arson — **Figure 3**: Community correction order lengths for charges of arson
**Number: 83 charges**

Bar graph showing fine amounts for charges of arson — **Figure 4**: Fine amounts for charges of arson
**Number: 10 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of arson — **Figure 5**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of arson by financial year
**Number: 400 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of arson — **Figure 6**: Number of charges of arson by financial year
**Number: 400 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of arson — **Figure 7**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of arson by financial year
**Number: 49 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing fines amounts each year for charges of arson — **Figure 8**: Average fine amounts for charges of arson by financial year
**Number: 10 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of arson — **Figure 9A**: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of arson
**Number: 327 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of arson — **Figure 9B**: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of arson
**Number: 271 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for female offenders for cases of arson — **Figure 9C**: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of arson
**Number: 56 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged under 25 for cases of arson — **Figure 9D**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged under 25 for cases of arson
**Number: 60 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of arson — **Figure 9E**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of arson
**Number: 247 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 55 and over for cases of arson — **Figure 9F**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of arson
**Number: 20 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of arson — **Figure 10**: Imprisonment lengths for cases of arson
**Number: 166 cases**, including imprisonment only (112 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (54 cases).

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of arson — **Figure 11**: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of arson
**Number: 112 cases**
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for cases of arson — **Figure 12**: Community correction order lengths for cases of arson
**Number: 65 cases**

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of arson — **Figure 13**: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of arson by financial year
**Number: 327 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of arson — **Figure 14**: Number of cases of arson for all people by financial year
**Number: 327 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of arson — **Figure 15**: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of arson by financial year
**Number: 166 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of arson — **Figure 16**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of arson by financial year
**Number: 20 cases**
**Note**: *NPP Cases* in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.