Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2016 > Reported offences, 1st quarter > Victims of crimes committed by persons with foreign background are often also of foreign background

Published: 23 March 2017

Victims of crimes committed by persons with foreign background are often also of foreign background

According to Statistics Finland's data, a total of 823,500 offences were recorded in 2016 by the police, customs and border guard in the whole country, which is 4,400 offences (0.5 per cent) more than one year before. In all, 661,000 persons were suspected of the 635,100 offences solved in 2016, which is 2,700 (0.4 per cent) more than one year before. Victims of violent offences recorded numbered 37,600 persons.

Nearly 40 per cent of assault offences were committed in private dwellings. Over one-half of assaults against women and one-quarter of those against men were made in private dwellings. Close on 45 per cent of assaults against men and good one-fifth of those against women took place in a public place. Ten per cent of assaults were made in restaurants.

Assault offences by scene and victim’s sex in 2016 (Total 33,769 offences)

Victims of violent offences recorded in 2016 numbered 37,600, which was 0.3 per cent more than in 2015. Of the victims, 21,400 (57.0 per cent) were men and 16,200 (43.0 per cent) women. The number of male victims was 0.2 per cent and that of female ones 0.5 per cent higher than in 2015. A total of 33,000 persons were victims of assault offences (Penal Code, Section 21, Paragraphs 5 to 7), 19,400 (58.9 per cent) of them men and 13,500 (41.1 per cent) women. Information on victims is obtained reliably only on certain violent offences.

Altogether 3,000 (9.0 per cent) of the victims of assault offences were aged 18 to 20. There were 4,600 (13.8 per cent) victims aged over 50. Assault offences directed at children aged under 18 increased by 9.2 per cent from the year before. The number of child victims was now 6,450. This is 19.6 per cent of all victims of assault offences. Of child victims of assault offences, 4,100 (64.1 per cent) were boys and 2,300 (35.9 per cent) girls. Among the child victims of assault offences, 33.3 per cent were aged under ten, 34.9 were aged 10 to 14, and 31.8 per cent were aged 15 to 17. Of the 1,100 victims of sexual abuse as a child, 87.4 per cent were girls and 12.6 per cent boys. The legislative amendment, which entered into force at the beginning of 2011, considerably increased the number of recorded assault offences. After the legislative amendment, petty assaults on minors or close relatives became officially prosecutable. In addition, at the beginning of April 2015, an amendment to the Child Welfare Act (1302/2014) came into effect, which extended the reporting obligation in cases where an offence against a child's life or health is suspected.

Victims of certain offences by age and sex in 2016

In terms of solved offences, where, in addition to the victim, the suspect is also known, the victim was of Finnish background in 84.8 per cent of cases and of foreign background in 15.2 per cent of cases. In 2015, victims were of Finnish background in 90.3 per cent and of foreign background in 9.7 per cent of cases. In sexual offences, the victim was of Finnish background in 92.9 per cent of cases, which is 1.3 percentage points higher than in 2015. In assault offences, the victim was of Finnish background in 83.2 per cent of cases, which in turn is 6.6 percentage points lower than in 2015.

When the victim was of foreign background the suspect was also of foreign background in 72.1 per cent of cases. In 2015, the corresponding share was 62.2 per cent. When the victim was of Finnish background the suspect was also of Finnish background in 88.8 per cent of cases. In 2015, this share was 90.2 per cent. In case of sexual offences the suspect was of foreign background in 42.1 per cent of cases for victims of Finnish background. In 2015, this share was 23.0 per cent.

Victims of certain solved offences by origin and person suspected by origin

Victim's origin/offence		Person suspected origin
		Origin total		Person with Finnish background total		Person with foreign background total
		2015	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016
Origin total	Total	21,047	21,267	17,910	16,925	3,137	4,342
	Assault offences	14,949	14,814	12,776	11,808	2,173	3,006
	Sexual offences excl. sexual abuse of children	546	686	396	382	150	304
	Other offences	5,552	5,767	4,738	4,735	814	1,032
Person with Finnish background total	Total	19,007	18,044	17,139	16,027	1,868	2,017
	Assault offences	13,416	12,322	12,206	11,163	1,210	1,159
	Sexual offences excl. sexual abuse of children	500	637	385	369	115	268
	Other offences	5,091	5,085	4,548	4,495	543	590
Person with foreign background total	Total	2,040	3,223	771	898	1,269	2,325
	Assault offences	1,533	2,492	570	645	963	1,847
	Sexual offences excl. sexual abuse of children	46	49	11	13	35	36
	Other offences	461	682	190	240	271	442

More detailed data on offences reported in 2016 and persons suspected of solved offences and their background are available in the review published on 23 March 2017 and from the PX-Web database service . The database table describing reported domestic violence and intimate partner violence will be updated in connection with the release of 31 May 2017.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2016, Offences reported. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (654.5 kB)

Reviews

• 1. Review on offences recorded by the police, customs and border guard (23.3.2017)
• 2. Persons suspected of solved offences (23.3.2017)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in 2012 to 2016 (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 2. Persons suspected of offences living in Finland by nationality in 2013 to 2016, share per 1,000 population 1) (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 3. Persons suspected of offences and the entire population by income (euro) subject to state taxation in 2016, aged 15 and over 1) (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 4. Persons suspected of offences and the entire population by socio-economic group in 2016, aged 15 and over 1) (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 5. Persons suspected of offences and the entire population by main activity in 2016, aged 15 and over 1) (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 6. Persons suspected of offences and the entire population by level of education in 2016, aged 15 and over 1) (23.3.2017)
• Appendix table 7. Persons suspect of offences against the Criminal Code by origin, age group and sex and the share of suspects in the population in 2016 (23.3.2017)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Persons suspected of offences against the Criminal Code and the entire population by level of education in 2016, aged 15 and over (23.3.2017)
• Appendix figure 2. Persons suspected of offences against the Criminal Code and the entire population by socio-economic group in 2016, aged 15 and over (23.3.2017)

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Updated 23.3.2017