Crime in Sweden

Increase in the number of reported crimes per capita in Sweden between 1950 and 2005. Rates of reports of violent crime, rape and robbery have increased sharply but reports of theft and burglary have declined after 1989.^{[citation needed]}

The 9,350,000 inhabitants of Sweden reported 1,410,000^[1] offences to the authorities in 2009 (approximately 151 offences/1000 inhabitants). The number of reported crimes have increased radically since a national statistics began in 1950. A lot of this is attributed to a higher degree of reports, but the largest factor is the factual increase of crimes.^[4][2]

Increase in the rate of reports of violent crime in Sweden from 1976 to 2006. In three decades, reported violent crime have increased by about 200 %.^{[citation needed]}

Historical statistics

1950 was the year Sweden began recording national crime statistics. In 1950, 195,000 crimes were reported. In 1964, the number was 368,000. Between 1975 and 1990, the number of reported offences rose by 61 percent at a steady rate. In the 90s and the recent years, the number has fluctuated between years, but has generally not been increasing.

Immigrants are overrepresented in Sweden's crime statistics. During the period 1997–2001, 25% of the almost 1,520,000 offences were committed by people born overseas, while almost 20% were committed by Swedish-born people with a foreign background. Those from North Africa and the Middle East were overrepresented.^[3]

Types of crimes reported

The historical homicide rate in Stockholm since 1400 AD. The rate has declined greatly: from 45 / 100,000 to a low of 0.6 in the 1950s. The last decades have seen the homicide rate rise slowly.

Of the crimes reported to the authorities in 2003, 53% were theft-related, 13% were contact crimes,^[5] 12% were vandalism and destruction, 6% were traffic crimes (not including minor incidents), 5% were fraud-related and 3% were narcotics-related.

Many crimes go unreported. According to studies, only 22% of those affected by violence reported the offence to the authorities, and about 50% of those affected by vandalism^{[citation needed]}. Some increases in the statistics are attributed to a higher level of reporting.

Rapes and sexual harassment

In 2009 there were 15,700^[4] reported sexual offenses in Sweden, a rise of 8% compared to 2008, of which 5,940 were rape and sexual harassment (including exhibitionism) accounted for 7,590 reports.^[1] In April 2009, it was reported that sex crimes had increased by 58% over the previous ten years.^[5] According to a 2009 European Union study, Sweden has one of the highest rates of reported rape in Europe.^[6]

There is debate about why this number is so high (almost 168 sexual offences per 100,000 inhabitants). An opinion is that this is not because sexual violence is more common in Sweden, but due to other factors, such as the practice of counting multiple crimes against a single victim (such as from long time domestic abuse) according to Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (BRÅ) ^[1], much higher reporting of sex crimes by the victims than in other cultures, and a much broader definition of criminal sexual behavior and more progressive attitudes towards what constitutes sexual victimization (Sweden has been a pioneer in its approach to rape - for instance it was one of the first countries in the world to outlaw marital rape in 1965,^[7] much earlier than other Western countries - e.g. Germany outlawed it only in 1997^[8]).

However, a different view maintains that Sweden has indeed a serious problem with sexual crimes: in 2009, in a European Union study, the researcher stated that Sweden's high rape rate cannot be explained purely by a greater tendency to report rapes, but reflected that rape was more common in Sweden.^[6] A report by the anti immigration party Sweden Democrats in September 2010 which claimed to have compiled 114 of 253 court rulings from around the country in 2009 stated that 48% of convicted rapists in Sweden in 2009 were born abroad.[26] Amnesty International blamed Sweden's "deeply rooted patriarchal gender norms",^[5] (however in 2006 Sweden was ranked as the number one country in gender equality^[9]). Immigrants were five times more likely to be investigated for sex crimes.^[3]

Homicides

In 2009, there were a total of 232 reported homicides to the Swedish police. Of those 232 homicides there were 93 deaths due to manslaughter, assault or murder 18 deaths were of uncertain origin, 7 deaths occurred abroad, 5 were still under investigation early 2010. The factual number of homicides amounted to 93 year 2009 whereas the average factual number was 94.25 in the years 2002 to 2009. This gives a rate of approximately 1 homicide per 100,000 inhabitants.^[1]

Stockholm's reported homicide rate is on par with most capitals,^[6] with around 3 annual homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, although the numbers are hard to compare due to large fluctuations between years. Murders are significantly less common now than in the 19th Century and earlier eras^{[citation needed]}.

International comparison

In a 1996 research study of 11 industrial countries, 24% of Swedes themselves stated they had been affected by a criminal act (the average rate of all countries surveyed). Sweden, in addition to Switzerland and the Netherlands, was distinguished by a high rate of petty crimes, such as bicycle theft. Assaults and threats are common; Sweden ranked third of the countries surveyed. The risk of getting mugged, however, is low—0.5% of Swedes surveyed reported to have been mugged.

Imprisonment

The percentage of the population in prison is significantly lower than in most other countries. Out of 100,000 inhabitants, 79 lived in prison facilities in 2001, which is a bit higher than other Scandinavian countries. By comparison, most industrial countries in Europe had a rate of around 100 (England & Wales 125, Germany 97, Italy 90); and some eastern Europe states range between 150–300. Russia ranks high above Sweden with 577 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, topped only by The United States's 743.^[7] Some of these numbers may be due to variations in prison types, for instance Sweden makes frequent use of electronic fetters, allowing the prisoner to live at home (but under constant surveillance, including a no-alcohol policy.)

At the same time, over the last years the prison population per capita has increased in line with the general increase in violent and drug-related crime.

The Swedish prison system is not generally severe. The emphasis is on humanitarian treatment of prisoners and rehabilitation in favor of deterrence. Sentences are generally short and prisoners enjoy a high material standard. The maximum sentence—a "life" sentence—means imprisonment for an undetermined period no longer than the span of the prisoner's natural life, and the prisoner is generally released after 15–20 years^{[citation needed]}.

Notorious criminals and crimes

• Elin Krantz rape murder (2010) for which Ephrem Tadele Yohannes was convicted.
• Knutby murder (2004) for which Sara Svensson and Pastor Helge Fossmo were convicted.
• Anna Lindh murder (2003) for which Mijailo Mijailović was convicted.
• Björn Söderberg murder (1999) for which neo-Nazis Hampus Hellekant and Björn Lindberg Hernlund were convicted.
• John Hron murder (1995) for which Daniel Hansson and other neo-Nazi was convicted.
• Olof Palme murder (1986) for which Christer Pettersson was convicted, but in a higher instance freed.
• Jacob Johan Anckarström murdered king Gustav III in 1792, which became the subject of Verdi's opera Un Ballo in Maschera. He was executed.
• Clark Olofsson, a life long criminal sentenced for various high-profile crimes. One of the main men behind the Norrmalmstorg robbery (1973), which fostered the term Stockholm syndrome.
• Mattias Flink, a military lieutenant who unprovoked opened fire with an Ak 5 in Falun 1994, killing seven.
• Jackie Arklöv, Tony Olsson and Andreas Axelsson; bankrobbers who in 1999 shot and killed two police officers outside Malexander, executing them by head-shot from close range with their own service pistols.
• John Ausonius, the "Laser Man", who shot eleven foreign-looking people between 1991–1992, killing one.
• Thomas Quick, serial killer convicted of eight crimes, but confessing 14 others between 1964–1990.

Crimes and legislation

Youth delinquency

In the late 1990s a certain crime drew the attention of media: muggings among youths. Certain groups put the blame upon immigrants due to their increased rates during those years, even though numbers had been dropping since 1994, yet with the original immigrants remaining in Sweden. Some areas that (sometimes unfairly) came to define the situation in respective cities were Bergsjön in Göteborg; Rinkeby in Stockholm; and Rosengård in Malmö.

These areas with their (relatively) low socioeconomic standard and high unemployment led to segregation. At the same time the rate of foreigner-related crimes were reported as being at a significant level for Swedish standards but low in comparison with the rest of the world. The truth of this was much disputed in the Swedish media with opponents maintaining claims to be the result of xenophobia, hostility and misunderstanding, while others have criticized the media for not reporting on immigrant crimes.

A study was eventually called for and published in 2000 by the National Council for Crime Prevention.^[10] Of teenagers in 9th grade, 10% of boys and 5% of girls had been the target of muggings during the previous 2 years. The rates of gymnasium students were about the same. 10% of boys and 5% of girls questioned admitted having mugged someone.

Desirable objects are mainly money (35%) and cell phones (34%). The average value of stolen items were around 700 Swedish kronor (~90 US$).

Juvenile robberies reported to the police annually.

Town	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999, Jan. – June
Malmö	53	58	170	210	196
Stockholm	569	411	709	682	613

The same study also showed that only about 50% of the muggings were reported to police.

Prostitution

Main article: Prostitution in Sweden

Sweden is one of few countries in the world to have criminalized only the buying of sexual acts (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute).

See also

• Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority

Notes

1. ^ Statistics from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet – Brå).
2. ^ Contact crimes are: robbery, assault and sexual assault.
3. ^ Homicide includes murder, manslaughter, assault leading to death, euthanasia and infanticide. Excluded in most countries is abortion and assisted suicide.
4. ^ In Swedish, published by BRÅ: Dödligt Våld i Kriminalstatistiken. Note: PDF file, Acrobat Reader (free) required. The link was added July 25, 2007.
5. ^ See also the Home Office Bulletine which compares reported crimes in various countries: International comparisons of criminal justice statistics 1999. Note: PDF file. The link was added October 14, 2005.
6. ^ List of countries by incarceration rate.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} [1]
2. ^ von Hofer, Hanns (2008). Brott och straff i Sverige 1750–2005: Historisk kriminalstatistik 1750–2005 Diagram, tabeller och kommentarer.PDF (2.91 MB) Kriminologiska Institutionen, Stockholms Universitet.
3. ^ ^{a b} "Immigrants behind 25% of Swedish crime". thelocal.se. 14 December 2005. http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=2683&date=20051214. Retrieved 17 January 2011. 
4. ^ [2]
5. ^ ^{a b} "Swedish rapists ‘enjoy impunity’: Amnesty International". thelocal.se. 28 April 2009. http://www.thelocal.se/19124/20090428/. Retrieved 17 January 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Sweden tops European rape league". thelocal.se. 27 April 2009. http://www.thelocal.se/19102/20090427/. Retrieved 17 January 2011. 
7. ^ Elman, R Amy (1996). Sexual subordination and state intervention: comparing Sweden and the United States. Berghahn Books. p. 90. ISBN 1571810714. 
8. ^ [3]
9. ^ "Nordics show way in sex equality". BBC News. 21 November 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6167486.stm. 
10. ^ Ungdomar som rånar ungdomar – i Malmö och Stockholm, BRÅ-rapport 2000:6. ISBN 91-38-31609-9

External links

• NationMaster.com World Statistics Site.
• Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention Official site, English version. (Also available in Swedish, German, Spanish, French and Finnish).
• Anti-Semitism Worldwide 1999/2000: Sweden – The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism / Tel Aviv University
• Swedish Mafia: fighting a losing battle The Local.se 8 November 2007