Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2017 > 4th quarter > Number of sexual harassment cases recorded decreased by 22.6 per cent, the number of rapes grew by 6 per cent

Published: 16 March 2018

Number of sexual harassment cases recorded decreased by 22.6 per cent, the number of rapes grew by 6 per cent

Corrcted on 13 April. The corrections are indicated on red

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 854,400 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during 2017, which is 31,300 cases (3.8 per cent) more than in 2016. Growth was mainly recorded for traffic infractions. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 35,700, which is 0.7 per cent lower than in January to December 2016. Six per cent more rapes were reported and 22.6 per cent fewer cases of sexual harassment 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 December 2017, a total of 839,400 offences were recorded by the police, which is 3.9 per cent more than in 2016. In 2017, a total of 9,300 offences were recorded by the customs and 5,700 offences by the border guard. Compared with 2016, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 1.9 per cent and those recorded by the border guard declined by five 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 police PATJA system with a delay of around 60 days. For this reason, the publication time of the statistics has been moved by a few months in 2018.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 33,500 during 2017, which is 140 cases (0.4 per cent) fewer than in 2016. A total of 1,600 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 0.6 per cent fewer than twelve months earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 73, which is eight cases less than a year earlier.

Altogether, 1,242 rapes were recorded, which is 70 cases (six per cent) more than in 2016. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,170, which is 7.1 per cent fewer than in the year before. In addition, 857 other sexual offences were reported, of which 414 were cases of sexual harassment. Compared with 2016, the number of sexual harassment cases decreased by 121 cases (22.6 per cent). The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual abuses 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 2017, a total of 210,700 offences against property were recorded, which is 19,700 (8.6 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

During 2017, a total of 23,400 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 6.8 per cent fewer than in the year before. A total of 1,424 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 1.6 per cent more than one year earlier.

During January to December 2017, means of payment frauds numbered 6,700, which is 8,500 cases (55.9 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 244. Of all means of payment frauds, 1,800 (26.3 per cent) were carried out abroad, while in the previous year, the share of means of payment frauds abroad was 43.7 per cent. Compared with previous years, particularly many means of payment frauds were recorded between August 2015 and August 2016.

The number of robberies reported was 1,640, which was 3.1 per cent fewer than in 2016. Of robberies, 266 were aggravated. A total of 3,150 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 7.7 per cent more than in 2016.

A total of 125,400 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 6,200 cases (4.7 per cent) fewer than in 2016. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 2,900, which is down by 13.3 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 4,800, which is 540 cases (10.1 per cent) lower than in 2016. Altogether, 44,900 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 2,000 cases fewer than in the year before. Compared with 2009, the number of thefts and petty thefts from shops has fallen by about 17 per cent.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 6,100, which is nine per cent lower than in 2016. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen by around one fifth.

During 2017, damages to property numbered 33,400, which is 1,900 cases (5.3 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 263 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has primarily been falling since 2009, when 50,700 of them were recorded.

Other offences

The number of recorded cases of drunken driving was 17,700 in 2017, which is 1.9 per cent more than in 2016. Around 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 7,000 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 3.8 per cent down on 2016. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 5.9 per cent. Slightly over one-half of basic drunken driving cases were caused by the use of narcotic substances. As recently as 2013, over one-half of all drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 27,800, which is up by 10.7 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 8.5 per cent. A total of 1,280 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The recorded number was 17,100, which is 8.7 per cent more than during 2016.

In 2017, a total of 3,900 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 600 cases (17.7 per cent) more than in 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, 467,600 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 52,600 cases (12.7 per cent) more than in 2016. Of these offences, 367,800 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits grew by 23.1 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 2017 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Corrected on 18 April. The corrected numbers are indicated in red.
Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change	2017	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	854,397	31,341	77,809	5,838	68,056	1,799	46,077	-10,779
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	438,210	-28,569	38,089	-3,248	35,258	-302	29,764	-397
3) Offences A to F	390,584	-21,309	34,188	-1,911	31,551	525	26,564	-752
Burglary	29,742	-3,543	2,724	-363	2,369	-227	1,867	-1,397
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	6,106	-604	514	-132	424	11	318	-51
Robbery	1,639	-53	125	-42	139	-3	120	-18
Damage to property	33,434	-1,853	2,838	-628	2,485	207	2,052	-215
Manslaughter, murder and killing	73	-8	4	-3	8	-2	4	-4
Assault	33,527	-142	2,712	-275	2,832	93	2,884	150
Rape	1,242	70	126	15	99	-32	94	18
Drunken driving	17,700	322	1,473	-55	1,464	75	1,340	-17
Narcotics offences	27,765	2,687	2,640	311	2,436	380	1,940	118
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	463,813	52,650	43,621	7,749	36,505	1,274	19,513	-10,027
-exceeding speed limits 1)	367,760	69,052	35,907	9,062	28,808	2,587	13,170	-9,359

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, 4. 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 2013 to 2017 (preliminary data) Corrected on 13 April 2018. (16.3.2018)

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Updated 16.3.2018