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Published: 16 October 2020

Number of break-ins into houses growing

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 376,800 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during January to September 2020, which is 36,900 cases (9.8 per cent) more than in the corresponding period in 2019. A total of 177,300 offences against property were recorded, which is 8.6 per cent more than in the year before. Eleven per cent more break-ins into houses and free-time residences were reported.

Breaking into residence by month 2011 to 2020

A majority of the reported offences and infractions are recorded by the police. In January to September 2020, a total of 485,300 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, which is 26.7 per cent down from 2019. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 371,600, which is 10.3 per cent more than in January to September 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 September 2020, a total of 5,000 offences and infractions were recorded by the customs and 2,400 by the border guard. Compared with January to September 2019, the offences and infractions recorded by the customs decreased by 19.9 per cent and those recorded by the border guard by 75.7 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 3,900 and by the border guard 1,300.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded during January to September 2020 was 24,400, which is 3.1 per cent fewer than in January to September 2019. The number of assaults that took place in restaurants decreased by 53.7 per cent and the number of assaults that took place in public places by 2.4 per cent. In turn, the number of assaults in private dwellings increased by 4.6 per cent. When it comes to assaults in private dwellings, the growth in reports is concentrated to the period January to March, not April to June. Nearly 30 per cent more assaults in private dwellings were reported in July than in July 2019. A total of 1,372 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 192 cases more than in January to September of the previous year. The recorded number of offences against life was 76, which is 25 cases more than in 2019. Attempted homicides numbered 308, which is 82 cases more than in the year before.

In all, 1,107 rapes were recorded, which is 6 cases (0.5 per cent) fewer than in January to September 2019. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,219, which is 1.1 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 September 2020, a total of 49 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, 796 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 367 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 34 cases (8.5 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 September 2020, a total of 177,300 offences against property were recorded, which is 15,200 cases (8.6 per cent) more than in the previous year. More offences against property in the early part of the year were last recorded in the statistics in 2016.

A total of 24,300 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 9.5 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 1,500 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 3.3 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

During January to September 2020, means of payment frauds numbered 5,400, which is 700 cases (12.5 per cent) more than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 141.

The number of robberies recorded was 1,600 which is 17.7 per cent up from January to September 2019. Of robberies, 338 were aggravated.

A total of 104,500 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 10,000 cases (9.6 per cent) more than in January to September 2019. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 2,100, which is up by 2.1 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 3,700, which is 11 per cent more than in 2019. Altogether, 39,100 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 10.6 per cent more than in the year before.

In January to September 2020, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 4,900, which is 9.7 per cent more than in 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 24,700, which is 1,600 cases more than in the previous year. Altogether, 232 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 the early part of the year.

Other offences

A total of 15,700 drunken driving cases were reported in January to September 2020, which is 10.9 per cent more than in 2019. One-third of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 5,400 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 4.1 per cent more than in the previous year. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 14.5 per cent. A total of 10,300 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 29,000, which is up by 21.5 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 10.1 per cent. A total of 1,009 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The number recorded was 18,300, which is 15.2 per cent more than in 2019.

In the early part of 2020, a total of 3,100 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is close on 200 cases (five 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, 59,100 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 13.3 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 July, August and September, and in January to September 2020 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	2020	Change	2020	Change	2020	Change	2020	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	51,584	-19,067	50,747	-29,163	43,572	-28,392	492,782	-132,433
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	49,736	7,678	48,950	5,382	41,821	1,027	376,808	36,902
Offences against property	24,616	3,030	23,918	2,321	18,822	-1,028	177,292	15,167
Burglary	3,703	719	3,664	780	2,662	-53	26,087	4,498
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	883	279	794	99	653	87	4,940	480
Robbery	217	55	255	70	205	47	1,568	277
Damage to property	3,305	59	3,361	385	2,454	-388	24,749	1,602
Offences against life and health	3,329	200	3,530	254	2,907	-364	26,394	-604
Manslaughter, murder and killing	7	1	6	1	12	7	76	25
Assault	3,081	211	3,292	268	2,671	-390	24,449	-762
Sexual offences	435	66	401	50	374	33	3,122	-30
Rape	157	28	131	18	133	25	1,107	-6
Drunken driving	1,975	349	1,879	249	1,706	159	15,726	1,718
Narcotics offences	3,206	681	3,099	236	3,078	290	28,973	6,219

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, 3. quarter

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

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in January to September 2016 to 2020 (preliminary data) (16.10.2020)

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Updated 16.10.2020