Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2018 > 3rd quarter > Number of reported sexual offences went up by 16.6 per cent in January to September 2018

Published: 18 December 2018

Number of reported sexual offences went up by 16.6 per cent in January to September 2018

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 639,800 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to September 2018, which is 22,900 cases (3.5 per cent) fewer than in 2017. The number of recorded offences against the Penal Code was 331,900 or one per cent lower. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 26,700, which is 0.4 per cent lower than in January to September 2017. In all, 6.1 per cent more rapes and 26.1 per cent more cases of sexual harassment were reported than in the year before.

Rape offences by month 2016 to 2018

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During January to September 2018, a total of 628,000 offences were recorded by the police, which is 3.5 per cent down from January to September 2017. The drop is mainly caused by a change in the number of traffic infractions. In January to September 2018, a total of 6,800 offences were recorded by the customs and 4,750 by the border guard. Compared with January to September 2017, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 3.5 per cent and those recorded by the border guard increased by 5.4 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 24,900 during January to September 2018, which is 200 cases (0.8 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2017. A total of 1,260 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 50 cases more than twelve months earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 57, which is the same number as the year before.

Altogether, 980 rapes were recorded, which was 56 cases (6.1 per cent) more than in January to September 2017. The total number of rapes was under the level of 2017 still in July, but the total number of reports exceeded the level of 2017 in August to September. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,005, which is 16.1 per cent more than in January to September of the previous year. In addition, 775 other sexual offences were reported, of which 387 were cases of sexual harassment. Compared with January to September 2017, the cases of sexual harassment increased by 80 cases (26.1 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 September 2018, a total of 154,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 8,000 (4.9 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

During January to September 2018, a total of 17,800 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 2.6 per cent more than in the year before A total of 1,290 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 20.4 per cent more than one year earlier.

During January to September 2018, means of payment frauds numbered 1,540, which is 600 cases (28.0 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 151. The number of means of payment frauds has been declining for the past few years. Especially means of payment frauds carried out abroad or from abroad have decreased.

The number of robberies recorded was 1,300, which is 4.6 per cent up from January to September 2017. Of robberies, 216 were aggravated. A total of 560 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 45.5 per cent more than in January to September 2017, when exceptionally few of them were reported.

A total of 92,100 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 5,000 cases (5.1 per cent) fewer than in January to September 2017. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 2,300 in January to September 2018, which is up by 5.5 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 3,700, which is one per cent more than in January to September 2017. Altogether, 33,700 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 700 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 4,500, which is 8.2 per cent lower than in January to September 2017. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

During January to September 2018, damages to property numbered 23,000, which is 3,000 cases (11.7 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 165 aggravated damages to property were reported. The number of damages to property has primarily been falling since 2009, when 39,500 of them were recorded.

Other offences

The number of drunken driving was 14,200 in January to September 2018, which is 6.0 per cent up from the corresponding period in 2017. Nearly 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 5,400 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 2.3 per cent more than in January to September 2017. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 8.5 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 21,700, which is up by 4.6 per cent on January to September in the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 8.9 per cent. A total of 870 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The recorded number was 14,400, which is 12.9 per cent more than in January to September 2017.

In January to September 2018, a total of 2,850 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 100 cases (3.4 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, 349,900 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 17,500 cases (4.8 per cent) fewer than in January to September 2017. Of these offences, 273,100 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits declined by 5.8 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 July, August and September, and in January to September 2018 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	73,237	-4,415	82,393	3,269	61,222	-17,070	639,752	-22,910
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	40,817	22	43,720	838	39,426	-1,767	331,890	-3,370
3) Offences A to F	36,736	59	38,535	51	34,491	-2,000	293,103	-5,336
Burglary	2,892	39	3,008	-70	2,328	-572	20,997	-1,796
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	704	-3	728	-70	561	-125	4,450	-399
Robbery	178	33	163	7	165	-18	1,315	58
Damage to property	2,855	-382	3,019	-355	2,762	-645	23,046	-3,041
Manslaughter, murder and killing	10	7	5	-1	7	-4	57	-
Assault	3,067	121	3,062	242	2,832	17	24,894	-206
Rape	136	25	126	41	126	23	980	56
Drunken driving	1,711	-38	1,659	-5	1,710	93	14,225	808
Narcotics offences	2,342	-150	2,461	-292	2,548	67	21,705	955
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	36,501	-4,474	43,858	3,218	26,731	-15,070	346,649	-17,574
-exceeding speed limits 1)	30,086	-3,989	35,776	3,487	17,444	-15,348	273,130	-16,789

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, 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 2014 to 2018 (preliminary data) (18.12.2018)

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Updated 18.12.2018