Number of mediations in criminal, civil cases rises

The number of criminal and civil matters referred for mediation grew slightly in 2020 and about half of all matters involved crimes of violence, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Friday.

Mediation went online during the Coronavirus epidemic, but this had no effect on the number of mediation initiatives.

The number of crimes and civil cases referred for mediation increased by three percent from the previous year.

A total of 10,021 mediation referrals were made in 2020. They included 13,073 criminal cases and 688 civil matters. One mediation referral may involve several different offences.

However, the percentages of mediation launches declined slightly in civil cases, as did the percentages of cases in which a settlement was reached, both in criminal and civil matters. Last year 66 percent of mediations in criminal cases, and 48 percent of civil mediations launched last year concluded with a settlement.

“It appears that the coronavirus epidemic has not reduced the need for mediation in Finland. “We initiated online mediation, which enabled us to offer the service without a physical meeting”, said Henrik Elonheimo, Development Manager for Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice at THL.

The police continued to issue most of the mediation referrals - 91 percent. The second-most common initiator of mediation was a prosecutor.

Last year 53 percent of all criminal and civil cases referred for mediation involved crimes of violence, such as assaults or illegal threats. The proportion of intimate partner crimes was 19 percent. Causing property damage and various crimes involving theft accounted for about 12 percent each.

“It would be possible to refer significantly more civil cases to mediation than is now being done”, Elonheimo said.

The processing of one criminal or civil case through mediation cost society an average €474 in 2020.

“When looking for alternatives to slow and costly court trials, we should keep in mind that mediation offices offer their services in different parts of Finland at no cost to the parties. Volunteer mediators comprise the foundation of our service”, Elonheimo said.

There are more volunteers mediating in criminal and civil matters than ever before. There are currently more than 1,400 mediators who have been trained for the task.