Police Powers & Responsibilities

People with intellectual disabilities are frequently the victims of crimes. Research shows that men and women with an intellectual disability (ID) are twice as likely to be the victim of crime directed against them personally, and one and a half times more likely to suffer property crimes than non-disabled age-matched cohorts (Wilson and Brewer, 1992). In particular, women with ID are at high risk of being sexually assaulted, with some research indicating that the majority will have been sexually exploited by the time they reach adulthood (Keilty and Connelly, 2000). Apart from abuse by strangers, people with ID may also be victimised by family members (Balogh et al, 2001), or in group homes or other residential situations; in the latter situations, the abusers are likely to be recently employed male staff members, with a prior history of being the perpetrator of abuse.