Crime figures: murders on the rise, assaults and rapes decreased

The number of homicides and drug-related crimes increased in Finland in the first half of the year. In parallel, other types of offences, for example assaults and crimes of a sexual nature, decreased.

According to the latest data on offences and coercive measures released by Statistics Finland, during January to June 2020 the recorded number of offences against life - this includes manslaughter, murder and killing - was 51, which is 16 cases more than in the same period of 2019.

Attempted homicides also increased and numbered 194, which is 69 more cases than in the year before.

Rapes and sexual crimes in general decreased in the period analyzed.

In all, 674 rapes were recorded, which is 89 cases (11.7%) fewer than in January to June 2019. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 806, which is 2.9% less than in the year before. In addition, 418 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 193 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 60% cases (23.7%) fewer than in 2019.

Drug related crimes increases significantly. The number of narcotics offences recorded was 19,600, which is up by 34.2% from the previous year. However, the number of aggravated ones (706) fell by 13.1%.

Around two out of three narcotic offences are use offences. The number recorded was 11,900, which is 19.7% more than in January-June 2019.

More aggravated assaults

The total number of assaults decreased, although the most serious and those committed in private dwellings increased.

Police recorded 15,300 assault offences in the early half of the year, which is 6.1% fewer than in the first half of 2019. The number of assaults that took place in restaurants decreased by 52.2% and the number of assaults that took place in public places by 6.9%. However, those in private dwellings or other private locations, in turn, grew by 3%.

Especially when it comes to assaults in private dwellings, the growth in reports is concentrated to the period January to March, not April to June. A total of 864 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is 118 cases more than in January to June 2019.

A total of 16,000 frauds were also recorded, which is 10.5% more than in the year before. Also 61,500 theft offences were reported in the early part of 2020, which is 5,300 cases (9.4%) more year-on year.

According to Statistics Finland, the total number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded throughout the country by the police, customs and border guard during the period from January to June was 232,900, which is 19,400 cases (9.1%) more than in the corresponding months of 2019.