Offences investigated, 2003

In 2002, relatively few offences were settled, compared with the 2-3 previous years. Even if the police districts seem to have spent 2003 to catch up with some of the arrears from previous years, the number of settled offences was still lower than in the two years before the police reform.

More old cases

Of all settled offences in 2003, less than 65 per cent were reported to the police the same year. The corresponding share in 2002 was a little more than 68 per cent. Compared to the previous year, the share of older offences reported to the police was in 2003 larger for most groups of offences, but the share was particularly large for narcotic offences - of which about 60 per cent of all settled cases were reported to the police before 2003. The differences in share of cases from previous years, made totally an extent that equalled to the whole increase in number of completely investigated offences from 2002 to 2003.

The criminal proceedings of offences in 2002 and 2003, seemed in other words to be somewhat marked by both the police reform (see textbox) and the many offences reported to the police and registered during 2002 (see also Offences reported to the police ).

Deficient investigation capacity?

Prosecution was dropped for 5 400 offences, of which almost 3 300 crimes, because of deficient investigation capacity in 2003. This was 52 and 94 per cent, respectively, more than the number that were settled this way in 2001, the year before the police reform. It was in particular economic and other offences for profit where prosecution was dropped because of deficient investigation capacity. In Rogaland and Oslo these make about 5 per cent of all unsolved offences, and these two districts alone represents more than 70 per cent of all offences where prosecution were dropped for this reason in 2003. Deficient investigation capacity is however still a relatively rare way to settle criminal cases, and 99 per cent of all offences reported to the police and investigated in Norway are settled in other ways.

Some more solved

In total, 45 per cent of all offences and 32 per cent of all crimes were solved. The percentage of solved offences and crimes was somewhat higher than in the previous year and compared to the last thirty years, only in 2001 there was a larger share of crimes solved than in 2003 (see figure). Of the 185 000 solved offences, beyond 85 000 offences were committed for trial at courts. In total, one fifth of all investigated offences ended in court, and one fourth of all crimes ended with either ticket fines or was committed for trial.

Clear-up rates for the most serious crimes may vary some, but during the last two years the share of solved rapes is somewhat larger than in the two previous years. During the period there was, however, also settled cases from before the expansion of the rape concept in August 2000. Considering this, the share of solved rapes has varied between 24-28 per cent during the 10-year periode 1994-2003. Rapes are solved to a far less extent than sexual crimes against children (53-77 per cent) and serious crimes of violence (48-95 per cent).

Less, particularly young, caught for crimes

During 2003, almost 77 500 offenders got a decision against themselves, and 42 per cent of those were caught for at least one crime. Both the number and the share of persons charged with crimes were lower in 2003 than the year before.

Among the youngest in particular, we can see a decrease in the number of persons charged with crimes: In 2003, 11 per cent less persons were charged with crimes than in 2002, and 26 per cent less than in 2001. 1998 was the last year there were fewer persons under the age of 18 years charged with crimes.