A near tripling in the payments made to sexual assault victims was behind a record year of public financial assistance to Canberra victims of crime.
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Sexual-assault victims were awarded 70 per cent of the $2.01 million paid out by the ACT government, despite making up only 28 per cent of successful awards and there being a decline in sexual-offence reports to police.
The overall annual figure was nearly $500,000 more than any other under the current victims of crime system, in place since 1999, and more than doubled that of 2013-14.
Victims of Crime Commissioner John Hinchey said there was no obvious reason why last financial year was the most expensive, beyond the fact 138 awards were made, also an annual record and the highest since the 121 of 2002-03.
"I wouldn't attribute it to an increase in crime," he said.
"It would be a combination of interpretation of the law, application of the administration of the scheme to the profile of the offenders, and the level of harm suffered," he said.
There were 38 awards for sexual assaults last year, for an average payment of more than $37,000. In contrast, the 32 awards for sexual assaults in 2006-07 returned an average of only $23,000.
The increase in awards to sexual-assault victims coincided with a 19 per cent fall in sexual-offence reports to police in 2014-15, down to 341.
ACT Policing's annual report also showed a decline in assaults of 8.1 per cent.
The relatively higher number of sexual assault payouts could not be explained by a lag from increased offences in 2013-14 either, with sexual offences that year down 6 per cent, and assaults down 6 per cent.
While all victims can receive a maximum $50,000 under the current scheme, sexual-assault victims as well as police officers, firefighters and ambulance officers can claim up to that sum for special assistance for pain and suffering. All others can claim up to $30,000 under this criteria.
The special assistance sum has not changed in 15 years.
Mr Hinchey said he had seen draft versions of the bill to change the scheme, and expected this would be in place for 2016-17.
The new scheme will replace special assistance payments with "recognition payments" across five categories, ranging from $1000 to $20,000, broadening access to the payouts but reducing the likely amount received.
Total offences against the person fell 13 per cent last financial year, but property offences were up 12 per cent.
Students were the most common people to receive a payment, followed by police officers and public servants.
