Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2020 > 2nd quarter > Number of assaults in restaurants halved in the early part of the year

Published: 14 July 2020

Number of assaults in restaurants halved in the early part of the year

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 232,900 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during January to June 2020, which is 19,400 cases (9.1 per cent) more than in the corresponding period in 2019. A total of 107,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 8.5 per cent more than in the year before. The number of recorded assaults that took place in restaurants was 52.2 per cent lower than in the year before.

Assault offences by month in 2016 to 2020

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. In January to June 2020, a total of 333,600 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, which is 15.8 per cent down from 2019. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 229,300, which is 9.7 per cent more than in January to June 2019. 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. The Road Traffic Act was revised on 1 June 2020, and as a result of the reform an administrative sanction will be imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic infractions in the statistics on offences will fall considerably.

In January to June 2020, a total of 3,600 offences and infractions were recorded by the customs and 1,750 by the border guard. Compared with January to June 2019, the offences and infractions recorded by the customs decreased by 8.3 per cent and those recorded by the border guard by 30.5 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 2,700 and by the border guard 900.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded during January to June 2020 was 15,300, which is 6.1 per cent fewer than in the first half of 2019. The number of assaults that took place in restaurants decreased by 52.2 per cent and the number of assaults that took place in public places by 6.9 per cent. The number of assaults in private dwellings or other private locations, in turn, grew by 3 per cent. Especially when it comes to assaults in private dwellings, the growth in reports is concentrated to the period January to March, not April to June. A total of 864 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 118 cases more than in January to June 2019. The recorded number of offences against life was 51, which is 16 cases more than in 2019. Attempted homicides numbered 194, which is 69 cases more than in the year before.

In all, 674 rapes were recorded, which is 89 cases (11.7 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2019. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 806, which is 2.9 per cent fewer than in the year before. The act on aggravated rape of a child entered into force on 15 April 2019. In January to June 2020, a total of 29 cases of aggravated rape of a child were reported. In the statistics, aggravated rape of a child is included in the figures on cases of sexual abuse of a child. In addition, 418 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 193 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 60 cases (23.7 per cent) fewer than in 2019.

In the 2010s, most cases of sexual abuses of a child 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

In January to June 2020, a total of 107,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 8,400 (8.5 per cent) more than in the previous year. More offences against property were last recorded in the statistics in the early part of the year in 2016.

A total of 16,000 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 10.5 per cent more than in the year before. The number of frauds appears to be growing after a few years of decline. A total of 1,013 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 6 cases fewer than one year earlier.

During January to June 2020, means of payment frauds numbered 3,300, which is 240 cases (7.9 per cent) more than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 83.

The number of robberies recorded was 905, which is 15.1 per cent up from January to June 2019. Of robberies, 212 were aggravated.

A total of 61,500 theft offences (thefts, petty thefts and aggravated thefts) were reported in the early part of 2020, which is 5,300 cases (9.4 per cent) more than in 2019. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 1,200, which is down by close on 1.9 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 2,200, which is 13.7 per cent more than in 2019. Altogether, 24,600 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 10.6 per cent more than in the year before.

In early 2020, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 2,600, which is unchanged compared to the year before. From the start of the 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

The recorded number of damages to property was 15,300, which is 1,200 cases more than in the previous year. Altogether, 151 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has primarily been falling since 2009, when 24,600 of them were recorded in the early part of the year.

Other offences

A total of 10,300 drunken driving cases were reported in January to June 2020, which is 11.9 per cent more than in 2019. One-third of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 3,500 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 5.1 per cent more than in the previous year. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 15.7 per cent. A total of 6,800 of them were recorded. Altogether 75 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 19,600, which is up by 34.2 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 13.1 per cent. A total of 706 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The number recorded was 11,900, which is 19.7 per cent more than in 2019.

In the early part of 2020, a total of 2,000 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is nearly 300 cases (12 per cent) fewer than in 2019. Identity theft was added to the Criminal Code on 4 September 2015 and by the end of 2015, a total of 530 cases of identity theft had been reported.

Altogether, 34,600 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 6.2 per cent more than in 2019. 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 Road Traffic Act was revised on 1 June 2020, and as a result of the reform an administrative sanction will be imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic infractions in the statistics on offences will fall considerably.

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 April, May and June and in January to June 2020 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	April		May		June		January-June
	2020	Change	2020	Change	2020	Change	2020	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	43,863	-27,087	51,307	-19,703	41,364	-34,146	338,951	-63,739
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	37,287	390	42,088	2,734	39,533	-358	232,853	19,367
Offences against property	17,607	322	18,743	-872	17,623	-1,639	107,470	8,378
Burglary	2,932	466	2,662	64	2,471	-192	15,751	2,745
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	451	-12	470	-93	531	-90	2,591	-4
Robbery	127	-35	132	-25	152	36	905	119
Damage to property	2,280	-381	3,070	153	2,781	-234	15,261	1,178
Offences against life and health	2,102	-821	2,615	-600	3,128	110	16,460	-862
Manslaughter, murder and killing	7	3	9	3	7	-	51	16
Assault	1,924	-841	2,365	-646	2,897	78	15,267	-989
Sexual offences	263	-88	311	-32	301	-25	1,898	-193
Rape	97	-13	88	-16	136	6	674	-89
Drunken driving	1,745	187	2,129	539	1,862	-19	10,296	1,091
Narcotics offences	3,349	933	3,332	1,004	2,621	253	19,567	4,989

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 2020, 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 2016 to 2020 (preliminary data) (14.7.2020)

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Updated 14.7.2020