Spikes occur. The long term trend for intimate partner murder of females has been down, which is notable and quite positive given the population has increased by just over 50% since 1990.
The table you've posted is all victims including children, when assault victims are separated in figure 8 numbers of adult male victims have grown by 1990 over 5 years against adult female by 2297, but on a percentage basis the male victims are growing at a higher rate, and with children is a notable contributor to the trend. I can see why you left it out, given it may attract the "not all men" crowd, but misuse, eh... given you knew there was another table available.
The current moral panic has been kicked off by women being murdered by partners or ex partners at what's regularly hinted at in the media "at an increasing rate" or "beyond what's been seen".
The data says that's not factual, and it's become disingenuous. The Westfield victims have been swept into figures quoted in the media to hype things even more. It helps bring the "women killed every 4 days" (actually 4.5) down from ever 6.7 days. Given how rarely mass stabbings occur in Australia it's interesting to claim the victims for a particular cause. There was also a strange demand from the media for that guy to be an incel, so there could be another type of murderous boogeyman they could scaremonger about.
I'm sure there's various groups and government entities salivating at extra funding, not to mention the media itself getting a big lick of "don't be a naughty man" advertising campaigns. The media is probably the worst actor in this whole issue. They're dying a slow death and will latch onto anything that has the potential to put more ad bucks in their coffers.
