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Published: 20 April 2017

Number of reported rapes growing

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 161,100 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to March 2017, which is 24,700 cases (13.3 per cent) lower than in the corresponding period one year previously. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 8,200, which is 2.5 per cent lower than in January to March 2016. Altogether, 330 rape offences were recorded, which is 32.1 per cent more than in the year before.

Sexual offences in 2014 to 2017

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During January to March 2017, a total of 158,000 offences were recorded by the police, which is 13.1 per cent down from the corresponding period in 2016. In January to March 2017, a total of 2,000 offences were recorded by the customs and 1,300 offences by the border guard. Compared with January to March 2016, the offences recorded by the customs declined by 26 per cent and those recoded by the border guard decreased by 7.9 per cent.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 7,800 during January to March 2017, which is 180 cases (2.3 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2016. A total of 360 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 3.3 per cent fewer than twelve months earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 23, which is five cases more than one year earlier.

Altogether, 330 rapes were recorded, which was 80 (32.1 per cent) cases more than in January to March 2016. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 280, which was 15 per cent fewer than in the first quarter of 2016. In addition, 220 other sexual offences were reported, of which 93 were cases of sexual harassment. Compared with January to March 2016, the cases of sexual harassment fell by 43 (by 31.6 per cent). 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.

Offences against property

During January to March 2017, a total of 44,900 offences against property were recorded, which is 5,300 (10.5 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

During the first quarter of 2017, a total of 5,800 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 14.6 per cent fewer than in the year before. In January to March 2017, a total of 320 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 19.6 per cent down on one year earlier.

During January to March 2017, means of payment frauds numbered 1,700, which is 3,300 cases (66 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 63. Of all means of payment frauds, 470 (28 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 robberies reported was 370, which is the same as in January to March 2016. Of robberies, 77 were aggravated. A total of 800 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 14 per cent more than in January to March 2016.

A total of 25,600 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 160 cases (0.6 per cent) fewer than in January to March 2016. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 640, which is down by 14.4 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 1,040, which is 70 cases (5.9 per cent) lower than during the first quarter of 2016. Altogether, 10,900 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 80 cases more than in the first quarter of 2016.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 1,050, which is 4.1 per cent lower than at the beginning of 2016. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

During January to March´2017, damages to property numbered 7,100, which is 200 cases (3 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 42 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has been falling since 2009, when 10,500 of them were recorded.

Other offences

The number of drunken driving recorded was 3,800 in January to March 2017, which is 4.5 per cent up on the corresponding period in 2016. Around 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 1,500 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which was the same as in early 2016. Drunken driving cases increased by 7.6 per cent As recently as 2013, over one-half of all drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving.

Narcotics offences numbered 6,100, which figure is unchanged from January to March of the previous year. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 15.7 per cent. A total of 280 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The recorded number was 3,700, which was 110 cases fewer than in January to March 2016.

The number of identity thefts recorded was 790, which is 22 cases (2.7 per cent) lower than in early 2016. 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.

Altogether, 77,000 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 17,300 cases (18.3 per cent) fewer than in January to March 2016. Of these offences, 48,900 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits declined by 24.1 per cent. The fallen number of traffic offences and infractions may be explained by the act on fines that entered into force on 1 December 2016.

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 January, February and March and in January to March 2017 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	65,963	7,281	47,693	-12,756	47,480	-19,225	161,136	-24,700
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	32,281	-477	29,520	-4,848	33,536	-4,288	95,337	-9,613
3) Offences A to F	28,771	641	25,990	-4,778	29,939	-3,216	84,700	-7,353
Burglary	2,206	186	1,782	-424	2,218	-34	6,206	-272
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	355	19	298	-73	398	10	1,051	-44
Robbery	116	-13	89	-22	164	30	369	-5
Damage to property	2,273	175	2,211	183	2,594	-576	7,078	-218
Manslaughter, murder and killing	5	-2	5	2	13	5	23	5
Assault	2,766	-42	2,294	-226	2,730	85	7,790	-183
Rape	107	20	118	36	104	24	329	80
Drunken driving	1,296	214	1,201	42	1,304	-92	3,801	164
Narcotics offences	2,110	210	1,859	-146	2,106	-58	6,075	6
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	37,192	6,640	21,703	-7,978	17,541	-16,009	76,436	-17,347
-exceeding speed limits	28,720	7,065	13,578	-7,378	6,587	-15,244	48,885	-15,557

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2017, 1. quarter

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Number of certain types of offences in January to March 2013 to 2017 (preliminary data) (20.4.2017)

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Updated 20.4.2017