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Published: 13 July 2017

Number of reported rapes growing

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 364,800 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to June 2017, which is 31,500 cases (eight per cent) lower than in the corresponding period one year earlier. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 17,300, which is 2.2 per cent lower than in January to June 2016. Altogether, 620 rapes were recorded, which is 22.6 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 June 2017, a total of 358,000 offences were recorded by the police, which is 7.8 per cent down from the corresponding period in 2016. In January to June 2017, a total of 4,100 offences were recorded by customs and 2,650 by the border guard. Compared with January to June 2016, the offences recorded by customs decreased by 21.7 per cent and those recoded by the border guard by 7.8 per cent.

The reform of fine legislation on 1 December 2016 affects the updating of statistics on criminal offences especially in terms of traffic offences. Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the system with a delay of around 60 days.

Violent offences

The number of assault offences recorded was 16,200 during January to June 2017, which is 300 cases (1.8 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2016. A total of 800 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 6.4 per cent more than one year earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 40, which is three cases more than one year earlier.

Altogether, 623 rapes were recorded, which was 115 (22.6 per cent) cases more than in January to June 2016. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 598, which was 7.7 per cent fewer than in January to June 2016. In addition, 384 other sexual offences were reported, of which 190 were cases of sexual harassment. Compared with January to June 2016, the number of sexual harassment cases decreased by 73 (27.8 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 June 2017, a total of 98,700 offences against property were recorded, which was 13,000 (11.7 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

During January to June 2017, a total of 11,300 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which was 10.8 per cent down from the year before. A total of 600 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 15.9 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

During January to June 2017, means of payment frauds numbered 3,300, which is 6,300 cases (65.5 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 106. Of all means of payment frauds, 910 (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 recorded was 800, which was 3.5 per cent more than in January to June 2016. Of robberies, 150 were aggravated. A total of 1,600 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 10 per cent more than in January to June 2016.

A total of 58,000 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 3,500 cases (5.7 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2016. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 1,400, which is down by 8.3 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 2,400, which is 150 cases (5.9 per cent) lower than during the two first quarters of 2016. Altogether, 22,000 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 380 cases fewer than in January to June 2016.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 2,650, which is 9.8 per cent lower than in the first half of 2016. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen by around one-fifth.

During January to June 2017, damages to property numbered 15,800, which is 860 cases (5.2 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 115 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has primarily been falling since 2009, when 24,700 of them were recorded.

Other offences

The number of drunken driving was 8,500 in January to June 2017, which is 0.6 per cent up from the corresponding period in 2016. Around 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 3,400 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which was 5.6 per cent down on early 2016. Other drunken driving cases increased by 5.3 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 12,800, which is up by 3.5 per cent on January to June in the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 3.8 per cent. A total of 600 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The recorded number was 7,800, which is 180 cases more than in the first half of 2016.

Altogether 1,870 identity thefts were recorded, which was 230 cases (14 per cent) up from January to June 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, 181,900 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 14,500 cases (7.4 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2016. Of these offences, 130,400 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits declined by 5.9 per cent. The decrease in traffic offences and infractions may be explained by the fine legislation 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 April, May and June and in January to June 2017 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	April		May		June		January-June
	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	52,087	-13,590	49,755	-24,367	45,668	-24,977	364,784	-31,496
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	33,670	-4,974	39,308	-4,104	36,403	-5,132	207,636	-20,905
3) Offences A to F	29,806	-4,499	35,031	-3,159	32,779	-4,434	184,748	-17,013
Burglary	2,198	-504	2,678	-436	2,655	-226	13,818	-1,357
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	397	-135	594	-73	620	-23	2,651	-286
Robbery	116	-14	180	36	153	27	801	27
Damage to property	2,504	-268	3,227	-177	2,857	-303	15,774	-858
Manslaughter, murder and killing	5	-2	7	4	7	-2	40	3
Assault	2,690	-132	2,840	-211	2,698	13	16,238	-293
Rape	97	-2	104	13	100	31	623	115
Drunken driving	1,448	18	1,634	-38	1,696	-26	8,515	54
Narcotics offences	2,053	7	2,140	30	2,354	208	12,807	436
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	22,281	-9,091	14,724	-21,208	12,889	-20,543	180,036	-14,483
-exceeding speed limits 1)	15,019	-8,082	7,125	-18,969	5,964	-18,921	130,401	-8,121

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 2017, 2. quarter

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in January to June 2013 to 2017 (preliminary d (13.7.2017)

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Updated 13.7.2017