In 2020, approximately 1.56 million crimes were reported in Sweden, which was an increase of one percent compared with the previous year.
Abuse crimes decreased by a total of three percent, but in the category of women over the age of 18, reports increased by three percent, according to preliminary statistics from the Crime Prevention Council, Brå.
- We have not analyzed the statistics further so we can not draw any conclusions from what it is due to, says Linn Brandelius, investigator at Brå.
A majority, eight out of ten, of the assault crimes against women were committed by close relatives and other known perpetrators.
A total of 28,900 assault crimes were reported against women last year and 29,300 against men, which means a reduction in assault crimes against men by four percent.
More reports of child rape
The number of reported rapes increased in 2020, but among women the figures were unchanged, and among men the reports decreased by two percent.
Instead, it was rape of children that accounted for the increase, an increase of as much as 16 percent.
A total of 3,950 rapes were reported against children, aged 0-17, last year.
- When rape of children increases, there are usually major cases behind the change, where it may be the same crime victims and the same perpetrators, but the crime has been going on for a long time.
But this year we have not defined any major issue so we do not know what the increase is due to, says Linn Brandelius.
Trending among fraud
Most increased vandalism and drug crimes, by 14 and 10 percent respectively compared to 2019. However, resource shifts at the police due to the pandemic may be one explanation, according to Brå.
The fraud crimes were the category where the reports decreased the most, and then mainly card fraud.
- Fraud offenses decreased for the second year.
It is a crime category that has increased every year since 2007, but which decreased last year and this year again.
We are curious about whether it will be a trend break.
It may be more difficult to commit fraud.