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Published: 19 January 2017

Number of reported sexual offences growing

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 823,000 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in 2016, which is 4,500 cases (0.6 per cent) more than one year earlier. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 36,000, which is 0.4 per cent lower than in 2015. Altogether, 3,400 sexual offences were recorded, which is 8.6 per cent more than in the year before.

Frauds and means of payment frauds in 2010 to 2016

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During 2016, a total of 807,600 offences were recorded by the police, which is 0.5 per cent more than in 2015. In 2016, a total of 9,500 offences were recorded by the customs and 6,000 offences by the border guard. Compared with 2015, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 0.1 per cent and those recorded by the border guard increased by 12 per cent.

Offences against property

During 2016, a total of 230,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 5,500 (2.3 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

During 2016, a total of 25,100 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 2.9 per cent fewer than in the year before. The number of frauds has grown considerably in the 2000s. In 2010, altogether 15,700 of them were reported. In 2016, a total of 1,400 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 2.9 per cent down on one year earlier.

During 2016, means of payment frauds numbered 15,100, which is 4,200 cases (38.5 per cent) more than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 162. Of all means of payment frauds, 6,600 (43.7 per cent) were carried out abroad. Compared with previous years, particularly many means of payment frauds were recorded between August 2015 and August 2016.

The number of thefts reported was 1,690, which is 8.6 per cent more than in 2015. Of robberies, 279 were aggravated. A total of 2,900 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 1.8 per cent more than in 2015.

A total of 131,600 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 6,800 cases (4.9 per cent) fewer than in 2015. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 3,400, which is down by 4.8 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 5,300, which is 700 cases (11.4 per cent) lower than during 2015. Altogether, 46,900 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 800 cases fewer than in 2015.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 6,700, which is 10.1 per cent lower than in 2015. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

During 2016, damages to property numbered 35,300, which is 2,300 cases (6.1 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 300 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has been falling since 2011, when 55,000 of them were recorded.

Violent offences

The number of assault offences recorded was 33,700 during 2016, which is 130 cases (0.4 per cent) fewer than in 2015. In 2016, a total of 1,600 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 0.8 per cent more than one year earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 81, which is 16 cases fewer than one year earlier.

Altogether, 1,172 rapes were recorded, which is 109 (10.3 per cent) cases more than in 2015. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 1,260, which is 1.9 per cent more than in 2015. In addition, 933 other sexual offences were reported, of which 533 were cases of sexual harassment. During 2015, altogether 283 cases of sexual harassment were reported. The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual exploitations of a child reported to the authorities vary much yearly. Individual reports of an offence may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

Other offences

The recorded number of drunken driving was 17,400 in 2016, which is 1.8 per cent down from 2015. Around 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 7.0 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 2.3 per cent. As recently as 2013, over one-half of all drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 25,100, which is up by 7.4 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 11.8 per cent. A total of 1,180 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences were use offences. The recorded number was 15,700, which is 580 cases more than during 2015.

In all, 3,300 identity thefts were recorded. Identity theft was added to the Criminal Code on 4 September 2015 and by the end of 2015 a total of 518 cases of identity theft had been reported.

Compared with 2015, the number of weapons offences of Chapter 41 of the Criminal Code grew by 20.5 per cent. In 2016, a total of 8,200 of them were recorded, or 1,400 more than in 2015. A total of 1,600 firearms offences (Chapter 41, Section 1, Paragraphs 1 to 2) were recorded, which is 38.9 per cent more than in 2015. In all, 1,250 petty firearms offences (Criminal Code, Chapter 41, Section 3) were recorded, up by 263.7 per cent. Altogether 770 reports of possession of a dangerous object (Criminal Code, Chapter 41, Section 5) were recorded, which is 28.6 per cent more than one year earlier. The number of firearms offences grew due to an increase in illegal gas sprays and their intensified supervision, for example.

Altogether, 415,000 cases of endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety (Criminal Code, Section 23, Paragraphs 1 to 2, 11), hit-and-runs, and other traffic infractions were recorded, which is 5,500 cases (1.3 per cent) more than in 2015. Of these offences, 298,700 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits grew by 2.7 per cent.

The statistics on Offences known to the police and on Coercive measures were combined in March 2015. Data released prior to that can be found on the old home pages of the statistics. The web pages of the statistics on Offences known to the police: http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/til/polrik/index_en.html and of the statistics on Coercive measures: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/pkei/index_en.html

From the beginning of 2009, offences recorded by the customs and border guard are also included. The change does not have much effect on the comparability of offences. Of the most common types of offences the change primarily affects the comparability of narcotics offences.

Number of certain types of offences in October, November and December, and in January to December 2016 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2016	Change	2016	Change	2016	Change	2016	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	823,056	4,542	71,971	1,321	66,257	2,091	56,856	-3,661
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	466,779	-7,264	41,337	-489	35,560	-2,898	30,161	-3,982
3) Offences A to F	411,893	-969	36,099	52	31,026	-2,095	27,316	-2,558
Burglary	33,285	-836	3,087	49	2,596	-167	3,264	788
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	6,708	-750	646	19	413	-59	369	-52
Robbery	1,692	134	167	42	142	10	138	7
Damage to property	35,287	-2,298	3,466	173	2,278	-540	2,267	-391
Manslaughter, murder and killing	81	-16	7	1	10	-8	8	-1
Assault	33,669	-134	2,987	176	2,739	-158	2,734	-120
Rape	1,172	109	111	12	131	31	76	-21
Drunken driving	17,378	-320	1,528	111	1,389	-54	1,357	20
Narcotics offences	25,078	1,733	2,329	506	2,056	235	1,822	170
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	411,163	5,511	35,872	1,269	35,231	4,186	29,540	-1,103
-exceeding speed limits 1)	298,708	7,736	26,845	2,589	26,221	4,110	22,529	-490

1) Cases of exceeding speed limits registered as endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2016, 4. quarter

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 029 551 3252, rikos@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in 2012 to 2016 (preliminary data) (19.1.2017)

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Updated 19.1.2017