Nauru has a low crime rate and a majority of crime in the country are related to traffic offences. Multiple people from the penal colony of Norfolk Island escaped to Nauru in the 19th century, with one murdering a dozen people. Australia pays Nauru to host immigration detention centres.
John Jones, a convict from the penal colony of Norfolk Island, arrived in Nauru in the 1830s and murdered at least a dozen people. William Harris also escaped Norfolk Island and arrived at Nauru in 1842. [1]
The Japanese Empire's occupation of the island resulted in mass killings that lowered the population to less than 600. [1]
Australia pays Nauru to house the immigration detention centre Nauru Regional Processing Centre. [2] A riot broke out at the detention centre in 2013. [1] In 2025, Australia deported three criminals to Nauru, including one murderer, despite none of the three people being citizens of Nauru. [2]
Arbitrary arrest and detention are illegal in Nauru. People can only be held for up to 24 hours by police without a hearing before a magistrate. The right to a fair and public trial is enshrined in the Constitution of Nauru. [3]
The maximum penalty for rape is twenty-five years. [3] No executions were carried out in Nauru between its independence in 1968, and the abolition of the death penalty in 2016. [4]
The United States Department of State reported Nauru as a low crime area in 2014. [5] 618 criminal offences were recorded in the first quarter of 2024, with 332 being from traffic offences, 175 being criminal offences, and 111 being vehicle impoundments. [6]