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Published: 14 May 2020

Number of women as injured parties to offences has grown, men still have a majority

According to Statistics Finland's data, 452,800 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during 2019. The number of suspects of the 275,000 solved offences against the Criminal Code was 300,400. Altogether 289,900 persons and 110,900 enterprises or legal persons were registered as injured parties. Not all offences necessarily have an injured party. The number of victims of offences was 51,900.

Complainants of offences against the criminal code by age in 2006 to 2019

In the statistics, the victim of an offence and the injured party are not necessarily the same person. For example, in assaults directed to minors the actual victim of the offence is a child, but his or her guardian is usually recorded as the injured party. Previously Statistics Finland included only victims of offences, and solely those of certain violent offences, as victims of criminal offences in the statistics. Thus, there have been no regular statistics on the numbers or age distribution of the injured parties of fraud offences, for example.

In 2019, a total of 452,800 offences against the Criminal Code were reported. For them, 289,900 persons and 110,900 enterprises or legal persons were recorded as injured parties. Not all offences necessarily have an injured party.

In the 2010s, the number of persons as injured parties of offences against the Criminal Code has varied between 312,100 (in 2011) and 280,200 (in 2018). In recent years, the number of injured parties aged under 15 has grown most. Compared with 2010, the number of injured parties in the age group has grown by 5,800 cases (52 per cent). The growth was mainly caused by offences against life and health. The change may be caused by the amendment to the Child Welfare Act that entered into force in 2015. The same legislative amendment may also explain the increase in the number of injured parties aged 30 to 39.

The number of injured parties aged 65 or over has also been growing. Around one-half of the growth in this group is explained by fraud offences (fraud, means of payment fraud). In the 2010s, the number of injured parties aged 65 or over in fraud offences has grown by around 2,400, or by around 180 per cent. In all, the number of injured parties in fraud offences has grown by 70 per cent compared with 2010.

The age distribution of both male and female injured parties has developed in a fairly similar fashion. Compared with 2010, the number of male injured parties has fallen by 17,600 (10 per cent), but the number of women has grown by 9,300 (7.7 per cent). There has been a fall especially among men in the 18 to 24 and 45 to 49 age groups.

Compared with 2010, the number of male injured parties has fallen in all regions except for Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, North Ostrobothnia and Åland. However, the share of men among injured parties has decreased in all regions. In relative terms, the share of men has fallen most in Åland, Kymenlaakso, Central Ostrobothnia and Satakunta.

Complainants of offences against the crimimal code by sex and region in 2010 and 2019 count and percent

	count				%
	Male		Female		Male		Female
	2010	2019	2010	2019	2010	2019	2010	2019
Uusimaa	54,816	52,093	39,120	43,748	58.4	54.4	41.6	45.6
Southwest Finland	15,460	12,291	10,903	10,673	58.6	53.5	41.4	46.5
Satakunta	8,518	7,726	5,691	6,642	59.9	53.8	40.1	46.2
Kanta-Häme	4,854	4,140	3,545	3,363	57.8	55.2	42.2	44.8
Pirkanmaa	13,489	13,776	9,000	11,030	60.0	55.5	40.0	44.5
Päijät-Häme	6,548	6,613	4,607	5,287	58.7	55.6	41.3	44.4
Kymenlaakso	6,368	4,836	4,174	4,216	60.4	53.4	39.6	46.6
South Karelia	3,983	3,381	2,615	2,751	60.4	55.1	39.6	44.9
South Savo	5,220	3,812	3,229	2,951	61.8	56.4	38.2	43.6
North Savo	7,465	6,729	4,930	5,380	60.2	55.6	39.8	44.4
North Karelia	4,408	3,604	2,932	2,938	60.1	55.1	39.9	44.9
Central Finland	8,045	7,834	5,436	5,824	59.7	57.4	40.3	42.6
South Ostrobothnia	4,799	3,927	3,243	3,267	59.7	54.6	40.3	45.4
Ostrobothnia	4,929	4,542	3,331	3,407	59.7	57.1	40.3	42.9
Central Ostrobothnia	1,807	1,694	1,212	1,457	59.9	53.8	40.1	46.2
North Ostrobothnia	12,338	12,405	8,012	9,281	60.6	57.2	39.4	42.8
Kainuu	2,580	2,140	1,718	1,583	60.0	57.5	40.0	42.5
Lapland	6,052	4,822	4,007	3,755	60.2	56.2	39.8	43.8
Åland	880	908	561	912	61.1	49.9	38.9	50.1
Whole country	176,857	159,235	121,314	130,627	59.3	54.9	40.7	45.1

Enterprises

Slightly under one-half of the enterprises registered as injured parties operate in the main industry of wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (TOL2008 G). Other industries with a higher share are financial and insurance activities, public administration and real estate activities. The Business ID has been in use in the data received by Statistics Finland only for a few years, but its use is becoming more common. This may explain the large annual variations.

Enterprises are injured parties mainly in offences against property, but different types of offences against property are directed at different main industries. The share of wholesale and retail trade is manifestly high (68 per cent) in theft offences, especially in thefts and petty thefts from shops. In damages to property, the injured party is most commonly a real estate enterprise (31 per cent).

Detailed information on reported offences and persons suspected of offences, as well as victims of offences and injured parties, can be found in the reviews of this publication and in the Statfin database.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2019, Offences reported. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (615.1 kB)

Reviews

• 1. Review on offences recorded by the police, customs and border guard (14.5.2020)
• 2. Victims of offences and persons suspected of solved offences (14.5.2020)

Tables

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• Database tables and their variables
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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Reported objects of theft offences in 2013 to 2019 (14.5.2020)

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Updated 14.5.2020