Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2018 > 4th quarter > Number of sexual offences recorded grew by 13.8 per cent in 2018

Published: 17 January 2019

Number of sexual offences recorded grew by 13.8 per cent in 2018

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 439,200 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in 2018, which is 800 cases (0.2 per cent) more than in 2017. Offences against property numbered 205,100, which is 2.7 per cent fewer cases than in the year before. In all, 7.5 per cent more rapes and 27.8 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 2018, a total of 788,600 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, which is 6.9 per cent fewer than in 2017. The number of recorded offences against the Criminal Code was 429,600, which is 0.2 per cent more than in 2017. 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 2018, a total of 8,800 offences were recorded by the customs and 5,900 offences by the border guard. Compared with 2017, the offences and infractions recorded by the customs decreased by 5.4 per cent and those recorded by the border guard increased by 3.5 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 7,300 and by the border guard 2,300.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 33,200, which is 360 cases (1.1 per cent) fewer than in 2017. A total of 1,640 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 60 cases more than one year earlier. The recorded number of offences against life was 90, which is 17 cases more than in 2017. Attempted homicides numbered 354, which is six cases more than in the year before.

Altogether, 1,338 rapes were recorded, which is 93 cases (7.5 per cent) more than in 2017. The total number of rape offences was in July still below the level of 2017, but in August to September, the number of recorded cases exceeded the level of 2017. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,363, which is 16.7 per cent more than in the year before. In addition, 1,019 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 529 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 115 cases (27.8 per cent) more than in 2017, but as many as in 2016. 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 2018, a total of 205,100 offences against property were recorded, which is 5,700 (2.7 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

A total of 23,800 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 1.9 per cent more than in the year before. A total of 1,650 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 15.3 per cent more than one year earlier.

During 2018, means of payment frauds numbered 6,000, which is 700 cases (10.2 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 208. The number of means of payment frauds has been on the decline for the past few years. In particular, means of payment frauds committed abroad or from abroad have fallen.

The number of robberies recorded was 1,740, which is six per cent more than during 2017. Of robberies, 311 were aggravated. A total of 3,400 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 6.5 per cent more than in 2017.

A total of 122,000 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 3,400 cases (2.7 per cent) fewer than in 2017. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 3,050, which is up by 4.5 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses was 4,900, which is 3.5 per cent more than in 2017. Altogether, 45,300 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 400 cases 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 2018, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 5,800, which is 4.7 per cent fewer than in the year before. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

During 2018, damages to property numbered 30,300, which is 3,200 cases (9.5 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 241 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.

Other offences

The number of recorded cases of drunken driving was 19,100 in 2018, which is 8.2 per cent more than in 2017. Nearly 40 per cent of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. A total of 7,300 aggravated drunken driving cases were recorded, which is 3.7 per cent more than in 2017. Basic drunken driving cases increased by 11.1 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 28,900, which is up by 4.1 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by four per cent. A total of 1,200 of them were recorded. Close on two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The recorded number was 19,100, which is 12.1 per cent more than during 2017.

In 2018, a total of 3,750 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 200 cases (5.4 per cent) lower 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, 419,000 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 56,000 cases (11.8 per cent) fewer than in 2017. Of these offences and infractions, 320,000 were cases of exceeding speed limits. Exceeding of speed limits declined by 14.7 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 for the latter part of the year.

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

Number of certain types of offences in October, November and December, and in January to December 2018 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change	2018	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	803,298	-58,623	64,760	-13,098	45,530	-23,005	36,420	-16,446
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	439,201	828	41,486	3,387	36,167	942	29,295	-494
3) Offences A to F	388,419	-2,300	36,630	2,442	32,163	649	26,231	-347
Burglary	28,137	-1,617	2,740	15	2,478	108	1,929	63
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	5,817	-286	590	78	429	5	347	29
Robbery	1,738	98	156	30	140	3	132	12
Damage to property	30,282	-3,184	2,951	114	2,394	-94	1,876	-178
Manslaughter, murder and killing	90	17	14	10	14	6	6	2
Assault	33,180	-355	2,811	98	2,702	-126	2,720	-174
Rape	1,338	93	118	-9	132	32	113	19
Drunken driving	19,130	1,445	1,644	173	1,638	176	1,633	298
Narcotics offences	28,913	1,136	2,670	28	2,416	-22	2,064	117
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	414,879	-56,323	28,130	-15,540	13,367	-23,654	10,189	-16,099
-exceeding speed limits 1)	320,045	-55,095	20,222	-15,736	6,281	-23,042	3,984	-15,956

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, 4. 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 2014 to 2018 (preliminary data) (17.1.2019)

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Updated 17.01.2019