Ma¯ori more likely to

A new Ministry of Justice study shows Ma¯ori are hit by more crime than the rest of Aotearoa – and literally ‘‘just being Ma¯ ori’’ increases the likelihood of being a victim.

Over any given 12-month period, 38 per cent of Ma¯ ori are victims of crime – compared to 30 per cent of the general population, according to study Ma¯ ori and Victimisation in Aotearoa/ New Zealand.

It is based on the New Zealand Crime and Victims surveys of 2018 and 2019, a sample of more than 16,000 people aged 15 and over. The sample includes 4641 Ma¯ori respondents across New Zealand.

Deputy secretary, sector group, Tim Hampton said the findings gave a different picture to the popular perception of Ma¯ ori and crime.

‘‘We read a lot on the media, and see it on television, about Ma¯ ori as being the perpetrators of crime. This survey’s really interesting because it looks at Ma¯ ori as the victims of crime.’’

He said the fact Ma¯ ori were 8 per cent more likely to be the victims of crime was a ‘‘statistically significant difference’’.

About a third of the difference could be explained by Ma¯ori being younger on average than the rest of the population, he said.

‘‘For a range of reasons, young people tend to be more likely the victims of crime.’’

Another third of the difference was due to deprivation experienced by Ma¯ ori, such as difficulty finding quality housing, health inequities, and low income.

Just being Ma¯ori, he said, appeared to account for the rest.

‘‘The remaining difference though, the survey can’t point a finger to anything, except for the fact that they’re Ma¯ ori, and again, that’s quite telling in and of itself . . . part of the reason why we see