Offences and victims reported to the police, 2005

Large decrease in offences for profit

The decline in the total number of offences reported to the police last year is mainly related to 6.7 per cent reduction in offences for profit. The decrease from 2004 to 2005 was particularly large for theft of motor vehicles (14 per cent) and aggravated larcenies (11 per cent) - but there were also considerable fewer simple and minor larcenies reported (3 per cent).

A total of 192 000 offences for profit were reported to the police in 2005, the lowest number since 1994.

Less theft of and from motor vehicles

15 400 thefts of motor vehicles were reported to the police in 2005, compared to 17 900 in 2004. The decrease includes automobile, motorcycle and boat, but is largest for theft of automobile - which decreased by 19 per cent (from 12 300 to 10 000 incidents). There were also considerable fewer incidents of aggravated larcenies from automobiles and other means of transport. Totally, thefts of automobile and aggravated larcenies from means of transport had a decrease of 16 per cent the last year - and 42 per cent since 1998. In addition, last year there was a 4 per cent decrease in reported incidents of simple larcenies from automobiles and other means of transport (see figure).

and dwellings

The number of reported incidents of aggravated larceny from dwellings decreased strongly during the last part of the 1990's. An increase of simple larcenies in the same period somewhat softened the decrease, but totally there were very few incidents of domestic burglaries reported to the police in the period 2000-2003 compared to previous years. In the last two years we see tendencies to a downward trend in number of offences of this kind reported to the police: In 2005 more than 8 100 incidents of aggravated domestic burglaries were registered - which equals to a decrease of 6 per cent from 2004. The reduction includes especially houses and holiday houses - with 6 and 9 fewer offences reported to the police respectively (see figure).

More offences of use of narcotics

Narcotic matters resulted in a total of 37 600 offences reported to the police in 2005, almost equal to 2004. Of this, 11 300 are related to use of narcotics. This is an increase of 3 per cent from the previous year. Possession of minor quantities of narcotics (regulated by the Medicinal Products Act) decreased by 4 per cent (to 8 100 offences), while narcotic offences regulated by the Penal Code increased by 3 per cent (to almost 16 200 offences). Somewhat fewer serious crimes of narcotics were reported, from 1 140 offences in 2004 to 960 in 2005.

More assaults, but fewer threats

Like the previous years, the number of assaults reported to the police increases steadily as. In 2005 12 500 such offences were reported to the police, 3 per cent more than in 2004 - and 30 per cent more than ten years ago (9 600 offences in 1996). The number of threats has, however, decreased somewhat in the last three years, and in 2005 almost 7 800 offences of this type were reported to the police. Threats reported to the police decreased by 3 per cent last year, and by 7 per cent in the last three-year period. More than 2 900 offences of wounding or inflicting bodily harm were reported to the police in 2005, which are somewhat more than in the two pervious years - but at the same level as in 2001 and 2002.

More rapes reported to the police

798 rapes were reported to the police in 2005, and during the five-year period after the amendment of the chapter in the Penal Code concerning sexual offences this number has increased by 37 per cent. The number of incest crimes and sexual assaults towards the youngest children has, however, not increased in the period 2001-2005. In 2005 153 offences of sexual intercourse with children under 10 years of age were reported to the police - the lowest number since 1994.