Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2018 > 2nd quarter > Reported number of crimes against life and health decreased by 4.3 per cent in January to June 2018

Published: 18 September 2018

Reported number of crimes against life and health decreased by 4.3 per cent in January to June 2018

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 402,400 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to June 2018, which is 25,300 cases (5.9 per cent) fewer than in 2017. The number of recorded offences against the Penal Code was 206,900 or 1.7 per cent lower. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 16,800, which is 4.3 per cent lower than in January to June last year. In all, 4.8 per cent fewer rapes and 28.1 per cent fewer cases of sexual harassment were reported than in the year before.

Crimes against life and health in 2016 to 2018

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. In January to June 2018, a total of 395,200 offences were recorded by the police, which is 6.1 per cent down from January to June in 2017. The drop is mainly caused by a change in the number of traffic infractions. In January to June 2018, a total of 4,500 offences were recorded by the customs and 2,700 by the border guard. Compared with January to June 2017, the offences recorded by the customs increased by 7.2 per cent and those recoded by the border guard by 2.7 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 80 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 15,800 during the first half of 2018, which is 760 cases (4.6 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2017. A total of 791 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is as many as one year earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 35, which is one case fewer than a year earlier.

In all, 599 rapes were recorded, which is 30 cases (4.8 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2017. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 691, which is 19.3 per cent more than in January to June of the previous year. In addition, 483 other sexual offences were reported, of which 237 were cases of sexual harassment. Compared with January to June 2017, the cases of sexual harassment increased by 52 cases (28.1 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 January to June 2018, a total of 93,800 offences against property were recorded, which is 6,400 (6.3 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

In January to June 2018, a total of 11,500 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is1.3 per cent more than in the year before. A total of 867 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 24.2 per cent more than one year earlier.

During January to June 2018, means of payment frauds numbered 2,900, which is 450 cases (13.5 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 93. Of all means of payment frauds, 630 (21.8 per cent) were carried out abroad, while in the previous year, the share of means of payment frauds abroad was 27.4 per cent. Compared with previous years, particularly many means of payment frauds were recorded between August 2015 and August 2016.

The number of robberies recorded was 813, which is 5.7 per cent more than in January to June 2017. Of robberies, 134 were aggravated. A total of 1,540 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is as many as in January to June 2017.

A total of 54,800 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 4,000 cases (6.8 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2017. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 1,300 in January to June 2018, which is down by 7.3 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 2,200, which is 200 cases (8.5 per cent) lower than in January to June 2017. Altogether, 21,400 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 800 cases fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Compared with 2009, the number of thefts and petty thefts from shops has fallen by about 15 per cent.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and stealing of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 2,500, which is 7.6 per cent lower than in January to June 2017. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

During January to June 2018, damages to property numbered 14,400, which is 1,700 cases (10.5 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 106 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 9,200 in January to June 2018, which is 9.6 per cent more than in the corresponding period in 2017. Around 38 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 3,500 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 3.5 per cent more than in January to June 2017. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 13.8 per cent. Around 60 per cent 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 14,300, which is up by 10 per cent on January to June last year. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 5.4 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 9,300, which is 16.9 per cent more than in January to June 2017.

In January to June 2018, a total of 1,800 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 300 cases (14 per cent) fewer than in 2017. 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, 221,900 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 20,800 cases (8.6 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2017. Of these offences, 170,400 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits declined by 10.7 per cent. Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, so the data will become revised.

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 2018 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	April		May		June		January-June
	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	69,777	2,994	76,412	5,552	60,624	-10,903	402,431	-25,254
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	34,102	240	38,916	-808	37,960	-649	206,870	-3,581
3) Offences A to F	30,009	35	34,337	-958	33,670	-813	182,413	-4,450
Burglary	2,169	-31	2,469	-207	2,347	-453	12,780	-1,182
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	410	18	475	-113	548	-95	2,457	-201
Robbery	139	28	160	-10	133	-10	813	44
Damage to property	2,351	-192	3,138	-125	2,678	-428	14,397	-1,689
Manslaughter, murder and killing	3	-2	8	1	9	2	35	-1
Assault	2,706	-71	2,890	-16	2,862	19	15,803	-757
Rape	115	13	103	-8	86	-15	599	-30
Drunken driving	1,479	45	1,732	129	1,878	238	9,189	807
Narcotics offences	2,249	179	2,323	106	2,384	-87	14,310	1,304
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	39,768	2,959	42,075	6,510	26,954	-10,090	220,018	-20,804
-exceeding speed limits 1)	32,664	3,174	34,246	6,354	19,885	-10,045	170,363	-20,422

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 2018, 2. 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 January to June 2014 to 2018 (preliminary data) (18.9.2018)

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Updated 18.9.2018