Aboriginal people are far more likely to be victimized by violent crime, according to a new study.
The most alarming statistic from the report, published by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, showed that even though Aboriginals represented roughly three per cent of the Canadian population between 1997 and 2004, they accounted for 23 per cent of those accused of committing a homicide during that span. Also,
17 per cent of victims were Aboriginal.
The study also said that violent crimes were committed more often than not by someone who knew the victim.
A stranger victimized Aboriginal people in one-quarter of all violent incidents, as compared with 45 per cent of such incidents against non-aboriginal victims, according to the report. Aboriginals are 10 times more likely to be accused of homicide than non-aboriginals.
As far as domestic abuse, 21 per cent of Aboriginals said they had suffered violence from a current or previous spouse or partner in the five-year period up to 2004. The rate for non-aboriginals was six per cent.
Overall, Aboriginals were nearly twice as likely as their non-aboriginal counterparts to be repeat victims of crime.
The study found that Aboriginal people aged 15 to 34 were at greatest risk, with the rate of violent crime more than twice as high as the rate for those 35 years of age and older.
