Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2019 > 3rd quarter > Break-ins into houses most common in summer months

Published: 17 October 2019

Break-ins into houses most common in summer months

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 333,500 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during January to September 2019, which is 200 cases (0.1 per cent) more than in January to September 2018. A total of 158,200 offences against property were recorded, which is two per cent more than in 2018. In all, 12 per cent more rapes were reported than in the corresponding period in the previous year.

Breaking into residence by month 2009 to 2019

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During January to September 2019, a total of 542,400 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, which is 16 per cent down from 2018. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 326,800, which is 0.3 per cent more than in January to September 2018. Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, which has an effect on the number of traffic infractions in particular.

In January to September 2019, a total of 5,900 offences were recorded by the customs and 4,300 by the border guard. Compared with the corresponding period in 2018, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 15 per cent and those recoded by the border guard by 9 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 4,800 and by the border guard 1,900.

Offences against the person

The recorded number of assaults in January to September was 24,900, which was 0.8 per cent fewer than in January to September 2018. A total of 1,200 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is two per cent down year-on-year. The recorded number of offences against life was 57, which is two cases more than in January to September 2018. Attempted homicides numbered 216, which is 44 cases fewer than in the year before.

A total of 1,128 rapes were recorded, which was 121 cases (12 per cent) more than in January to September 2018. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,209, which is 20.9 per cent more than in the year before. Aggravated rape of a child was added to the Criminal Code on 15 April 2019. Twenty-six cases of aggravated rape of a child have been reported. In the statistics, aggravated rape of a child is included in the figures on cases of sexual abuse of a child. In addition, 813 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 403 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 31 cases (8.3 per cent) more than in January to September 2018 .

During the 2010s , most cases of sexual harassment have been recorded in the second quarter of 2013. Then 612 cases of sexual abuse of a child were reported. 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 September 2019, a total of 158,200 offences against property were recorded, which is 3,100 cases (two per cent) more than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

A total of 20,700 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 14 per cent more than in January to September of the previous year. A total of 1,500 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 18 per cent more than one year earlier.

During January to September 2019, means of payment frauds numbered 4,600, which is 100 cases (three per cent) more than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 154.

The number of robberies recorded was 1,300, which was close on one per cent up from January to September 2018. Of robberies, 234 were aggravated.

A total of 92,700 theft offences (thefts, petty thefts and aggravated thefts) were reported in January to September 2019, which was 700 cases (0.7 per cent) more than in 2018. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 2,000, which is down by 10 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 3,300 which is 11 per cent fewer than in 2018. Altogether, 34,400 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 2 per cent more than in the year before. Compared with 2009, the number of thefts and petty thefts from shops has fallen by about 15 per cent.

In January to September 2019, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 4,500, which is one per cent more than in the year before. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

In January to September 2019, the recorded number of damages to property was 22,800, which is 300 cases fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 208 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has primarily been falling since 2009, when 39,600 of them were recorded in January to September.

Other offences

The number of drunken driving was 14,200 in January to September 2019, which is as much as in the corresponding period in 2018. Good one-third of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 5,200 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 3 per cent lower than in 2017. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 2 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 22,300, which is up by two per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 13 per cent. A total of 1,000 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences were use offences. The recorded number was 15,300, which is five per cent more than in January to September 2018.

In January to September 2019, a total of 3,100 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is good 200 cases (eight per cent) more than in 2018. 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, 50,200 cases of endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and hit-and-runs (Criminal Code, Section 23, Paragraphs 1 to 2, 11) were recorded, which is 4,600 cases ( per cent) fewer than in January to September 2018. 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.stat.fi/til/polrik/index_en.html and of the statistics on Coercive measures: http://stat.fi/til/pkei/index_en.html

Number of certain types of offences in July, August and September, and in January to September 2019 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	2019	Change	2019	Change	2019	Change	2019	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	55,282	-18,234	51,018	-32,827	46,373	-31,195	552,525	-106,623
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	41,237	316	41,894	-2,116	37,938	-1,745	333,471	188
Offences against property	20,961	971	20,554	-1,309	18,169	-425	158,172	3,057
Burglary	2,975	85	2,798	-212	2,540	222	21,340	349
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	606	-94	699	-24	580	12	4,487	51
Robbery	160	-11	183	26	161	-	1,302	9
Damage to property	3,242	380	2,890	-130	2,579	-200	22,761	-327
Offences against life and health	3,062	-298	3,140	-262	3,305	208	26,653	-304
Manslaughter, murder and killing	7	-2	5	-1	5	-1	57	2
Assault	2,810	-276	2,917	-225	3,113	241	24,927	-207
Sexual offences	386	50	358	-11	320	-6	3,150	387
Rape	154	16	119	-35	101	-20	1,128	121
Drunken driving	1,653	-54	1,657	6	1,619	-83	14,175	-18
Narcotics offences	2,504	150	2,778	325	2,608	46	22,300	499

1) Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, which has an effect on the number of traffic infractions in particular.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2019, 3. 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 September 2015 to 2019 (preliminary data) (17.10.2019)

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Updated 17.10.2019