Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2021 > 2nd quarter > Number of sexual offences recorded grew by 27 per cent

Published: 14 July 2021

Number of sexual offences recorded grew by 27 per cent

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, a total of 226,200 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during January to June 2021, which is 10,700 cases (4.5 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2020. A total of 100,400 offences against property were recorded, which is nine per cent fewer than in the year before. A total of 15,400 assault offences were recorded, which was nearly one per cent down on the year before.

Rape and sexual abuse of a child by month 2010 to 2021

A majority of the reported offences and infractions are recorded by the police. During January to June 2021, a total of 231,400 offences were recorded by the police, which is 36.4 per cent down from the corresponding period in 2020. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 223,300, which is 4.3 per cent fewer than in January to June 2020. 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 amended on 1 June 2020, and as a result, an administrative penalty is imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic offences in the statistics on offences has fallen considerably.

In January to June 2021, a total of 2,900 offences and infractions were recorded by the customs and 1,000 by the border guard. Compared with 2020, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 20.1 per cent and those recorded by the border guard declined by 45.3 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 2,200 and by the border guard 700.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 15,400 during January to June 2021, which is 0.8 per cent fewer than in 2020. The number of assault offences in restaurants decreased by 53 per cent and that of assault offences in public places grew by 5.3 per cent. The number of assaults in private dwellings decreased by 1.5 per cent but the number of assaults in other private places increased by 7.6 per cent. A total of 805 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 45 cases fewer than in January to June 2019. The recorded number of offences against life was 42, which is two cases fewer than in 2020. Attempted homicides numbered 181, which is four cases fewer than in the year before.

In all, 826 rapes were recorded, which is 160 cases (24 per cent) more than in January to June 2020. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 976, which is 15.8 per cent more than in the year before. The act on aggravated rape of a child entered into force on 15 April 2019. In January to June 2021, a total of 42 cases of aggravated rape of a child were reported. A total of 34 cases were reported in the corresponding period of the previous year. In the statistics, aggravated rape of a child is included in the figures on cases of sexual abuse of a child. In addition, 638 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 326 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 128 cases (64.6 per cent) more than in 2020.

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 2021, a total of 100,400 offences against property were recorded, which is 9,900 cases (9 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

A total of 17,200 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 2.9 per cent more than in the year before. The number of frauds appears to be growing after a few years of decline. The recorded number of aggravated frauds was 1,000.

During the first two quarters of 2021, means of payment frauds numbered 2,500, which is 900 cases (26.4 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 106.

The number of robberies recorded was 808, which is eight per cent fewer than in January to June last year. Of robberies, 200 were aggravated.

A total of 56,400 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 6,600 cases (10.4 per cent) fewer than in January to June 2020. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was slightly under 1,000, which is down by 17 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 1,700, which is 21.3 per cent fewer than in 2020. Altogether, 23,800 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is five per cent fewer than in the year before.

In January to June 2021, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was close on 2,300, which is 12.4 per cent fewer than in the year before. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

The recorded number of damages to property was nearly 14,000, which is 1,700 cases fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 145 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 in a year.

Other offences

A total of 9,000 cases of driving while intoxicated were reported in January to June 2021, which is 11.1 per cent more than in 2020. One-third of the recorded cases of driving while intoxicated were cases of driving while seriously intoxicated. A total of 3,000 cases of driving while seriously intoxicated were recorded, which is 12.1 per cent lower than in 2017. A total of 6,000 basic cases of driving while intoxicated were recorded, which is 700 cases fewer than one year previously.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was nearly 14,600, which is down by 25.5 per cent from the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 3.2 per cent. A total of 729 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The number recorded was 10,100, which is 15.8 per cent lower than in 2020.

In January to March 2021, a total of 1,600 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 480 cases (23 per cent) fewer than in 2020. 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, 42,700 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 21.2 per cent more than in January to June 2020. 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 amended on 1 June 2020, and as a result, an administrative penalty is imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic offences in the statistics on offences will fall considerably.

Number of certain types of offences in April, May and June and in January to June 2021 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	April		May		June		January-June
	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	42,702	-17,670	43,131	-16,671	38,324	-6,344	235,281	-134,194
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	41,209	3,595	41,546	-998	36,550	-6,155	226,229	-10,679
Offences against property	18,563	734	18,443	-317	15,910	-4,181	100,434	-9,930
Burglary	2,980	51	2,627	-32	2,235	-555	14,421	-1,635
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	419	-30	450	-18	427	-126	2,272	-323
Robbery	162	34	124	-5	118	-29	808	-70
Damage to property	2,546	251	2,933	-117	2,510	-640	13,959	-1,681
Offences against life and health	2,619	493	3,093	325	3,144	-101	16,499	-291
Manslaughter, murder and killing	13	9	8	-	5	-2	42	-2
Assault	2,431	479	2,899	412	2,881	-112	15,417	-124
Sexual offences	350	102	521	168	427	115	2,440	518
Rape	129	30	149	65	151	20	826	160
Drunken driving	1,563	-164	1,587	-497	1,597	-190	9,009	-1,123
Narcotics offences	2,725	-640	2,337	-1,038	1,844	-808	14,643	-5,002

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 2021, 2. quarter

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

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in January to June 2017 to 2021 (preliminary data) (14.7.2021)

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Updated 14.7.2021