- Next Article Helsinki rallies for Palestinian cause and South Africa’s genocide charge against Israel
Finland saw a notable increase in reported sexual offenses in 2023, with 7,100 cases recorded, marking a 29.6% rise from the previous year. This surge, amounting to 1,600 more cases than in 2022, coincided with the introduction of new sexual offense legislation at the start of 2023, which redefined and expanded the scope of sexual crimes.
Kimmo Haapakangas, Senior Statistician at Statistics Finland, cautions against direct year-to-year comparisons due to the changes in legal definitions and classifications.
The new law shifted from a violence or threat-based definition of rape to a consent-based one. It broadened the definition of sexual harassment to include forms beyond physical touching and introduced new offenses like the unauthorized distribution of sexual images.
Under the new law, 1,408 cases of rape were reported, in addition to 480 under the old law, totaling 1,888 rape offenses for the year, an increase of 219 from 2022. Child rape cases accounted for 416 of these incidents. Additionally, 1,139 reports were filed for sexual harassment as defined by the new law, with 343 of these offenses occurring online. Unauthorized distribution of sexual images accounted for 146 reports, with 120 of these happening on the internet.
While sexual offenses rose, the number of reported homicides in Finland decreased. Overall, crimes against life and health were reported 43,000 times, a 6.5% increase from the previous year. However, there were 62 homicides, 17 fewer than in 2022, and 365 attempted homicides, 16 more than the previous year. “The reported number of homicides is the lowest since World War II,” Haapakangas states.
Assaults totaled 40,700, marking a 6.8% increase from 2022. Domestic assaults saw a marginal rise of 0.9%, while public assaults increased by nearly 11%.
Robbery offenses also saw a significant uptick, with a 17.9% increase from the previous year. In total, 129,600 theft offenses were reported, a 1.1% rise from 2022. Half of these were shoplifting incidents, which increased by 9.8%.
“The rise in robberies was most pronounced in the areas of Oulu, Inner Finland, Häme, and Southwest Finland police departments. The situation in Helsinki and Uusimaa appears stable compared to last year,” Haapakangas explains.
This data indicates a shifting landscape of crime in Finland, with sexual offenses on the rise amid legal changes and a decrease in homicides, painting a complex picture of the nation’s public safety and legal challenges.
HT
- Next Article Helsinki rallies for Palestinian cause and South Africa’s genocide charge against Israel
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
