Rape, child sexual abuse go up in Q1

A total of 399 rapes were recorded in January to March this year, which is 47 cases (13.4 per cent) more than that in January to March 2020, according to the Statistics Finland.

The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 463, which is 3.6 per cent more than year on year.

The Act on aggravated rape of a child entered into force on 15 April 2019. In the first quarter of 2021, a total of 13 cases of aggravated rape of a child were reported. In the corresponding period of the previous year, 16 cases were reported.

In the statistics, aggravated rape of a child is included in the figures on cases of sexual abuse of a child. In addition, 280 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 115 were cases of sexual harassment which is 10 cases (9.5 per cent) more than that in 2019.

Meanwhile, a total of 103,400 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to March this year, meaning 10,600 cases (9.3 per cent) less year on year.

A total of 45,400 offences against property were recorded, which is 15.5 per cent fewer than that in the year before. The number of assault offences was 13.4 per cent lower than that in the year before.

A majority of the reported offences and infractions are recorded by the police.

In January to March 2021, a total of 105,900 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, posting a 47.4 per cent slide year on year.

The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 102,200, which is 8.7 per cent fewer than that in January to March 2020.

In January to March 2021, a total of 1,300 offences were recorded by the customs and 300 by the border guard. Compared with the corresponding figures of 2020, the numbers of offences and infractions recorded by the customs decreased by 34.7 per cent and those recorded by the border guard declined by 74 per cent.

The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the Customs was 1,000 and by the border guard 200.

The number of assault offences recorded was 7,000 in January to March 2021, which is 13.4 per cent fewer than that in 2020.