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Published: 15 October 2021

Number of sexual offences recorded grew by 20 per cent

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, a total of 357,300 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard during January to September 2021, which is 29,000 cases (7.5 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period in 2020. A total of 163,400 offences against property were recorded, which is 11 per cent fewer than in the year before. The number of assault offences recorded was 24,200, which is 4.3 per cent fewer than last year.

Rape and sexual abuse of a child by month 2016 to 2021

A majority of the reported offences and infractions are recorded by the police. During January to September 2021, a total of 366,200 offences were recorded by the police, which is 29.1 per cent down from the corresponding period in 2020. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 352,900, which is 7.4 per cent fewer than in January to September 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 infractions in the statistics on offences has fallen considerably.

In January to September 2021, a total of 4,200 offences and infractions were recorded by the customs and 1,700 by the border guard. Compared with 2020, the offences and infractions recorded by the customs decreased by 17.6 per cent and those recorded by the border guard declined by 30.7 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 3,300 and by the border guard 1,200.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 24,200 during January to September 2021, which is 4.3 per cent fewer than in 2020. The number of assault offences in restaurants decreased by 43 per cent and that of assault offences in public places remained on level with the previous year. The number of assaults in private dwellings decreased by five per cent but the number of assaults in other private places increased by 3.9 per cent. A total of 1,200 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 10.1 per cent fewer than in January to September 2019. The recorded number of offences against life was 58, which is seven cases fewer than in 2020. Attempted homicides numbered 268, which is 25 cases fewer than in the year before.

A total of 1,335 rapes were recorded, which was 241 cases (22 per cent) more than in January to September 2020. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 1,457, which is 14.6 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 September 2021, a total of 59 cases of aggravated rape of a child were reported. A total of 48 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, 1,007 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 545 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 171 cases (45.7 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 September 2021, a total of 163,400 offences against property were recorded, which is 20,300 cases (11 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

A total of 26,300 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 3 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 around 1,500.

During January to September 2021, means of payment frauds numbered 4,100, which is 1,700 cases (29.4 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 179.

The number of robberies reported was 1,300, which was 14.1 per cent fewer than in January to September of the previous year. Of robberies, 327 were aggravated.

A total of 93,900 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 14,100 cases (13.1 per cent) fewer than in January to September 2020. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was slightly under 1,600, which is down by 24.2 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 2,900, which is 21.8 per cent fewer than in 2020. Altogether, 37,500 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 6.6 per cent fewer than in the year before.

During January to September 2021, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 3,900, which is 21.9 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 23,100, which is 2,500 cases fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 197 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 during the year.

Other offences

A total of 13,400 cases of driving while intoxicated were reported in January to June 2021, which is 14.3 per cent fewer than in 2020. One-third of the recorded cases of driving while intoxicated were cases of driving while seriously intoxicated. A total of 4,700 cases of driving while seriously intoxicated were recorded, which is 10.7 per cent lower than in the year before. A total of 8,600 basic cases of driving while intoxicated were recorded, which is 1,700 cases fewer than one year previously.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was around 21,200, which is down by 27.3 per cent from the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by seven per cent. Nearly 1,200 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences are use offences. The number recorded was close on 14,600, which is 21.5 per cent lower than in 2020.

In January to September 2021, a total of 2,400 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 800 cases (24.7 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, 68,200 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 12.3 per cent more than in January to September 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 has declined considerably.

Number of certain types of offences in July, August and September, and in January to September 2021 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	44,703	-7,383	44,909	-7,396	41,660	-8,863	372,089	-152,300
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	42,607	-7,632	43,233	-7,245	39,843	-8,826	357,300	-28,994
Offences against property	19,915	-4,838	21,017	-3,690	18,708	-5,111	163,372	-20,271
Burglary	2,523	-1,183	2,905	-864	2,714	-781	22,896	-4,130
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	545	-337	574	-233	491	-223	3,902	-1,096
Robbery	139	-71	206	-46	182	-21	1,326	-217
Damage to property	2,939	-363	2,920	-525	2,650	-534	23,104	-2,467
Offences against life and health	3,468	48	2,990	-718	2,802	-609	26,000	-1,329
Manslaughter, murder and killing	4	-3	9	5	3	-7	58	-7
Assault	3,208	40	2,771	-688	2,605	-554	24,231	-1,096
Sexual offences	462	-1	456	69	420	38	3,799	645
Rape	193	44	163	32	143	-5	1,335	241
Drunken driving	1,534	-421	1,526	-318	1,409	-242	13,357	-2,225
Narcotics offences	1,857	-1,432	2,185	-965	2,284	-855	21,247	-7,976

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, 3. 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 September 2017 to 2021 (preliminary data) (15.10.2021)

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Updated 15.10.2021