Editorial | Murders were committed outdoors, youth violence is increasing

Bthe number of petty crimes clearly increased in the first half of the year. Statistics Finland by 48 homicides came to the attention of the authorities in six months. During the same period last year, there were 21 fewer homicides. If the number has increased since June at the pace of the beginning of the year, the number of homicides for the whole of last year may have already been exceeded.

The change in numbers is a worrying turn in long-term trends. For a long time, there have been fewer murders committed year after year. Last year, the lowest number in the history of statistics was obtained, 57 crimes.

It is also special that many murders have been committed in public places. Such cases accumulated in the first half of the year 14. The last time such high numbers were reached was in 2015. So every third homicide was committed, for example, on the street or in a park.

The number of sexual crimes also increased. The number of rapes increased by approximately 11 percent and the number of all sexual crimes by 21 percent.

The increase in homicides has caught up with the trend of assaults. The number of abuses has increased year after year, and especially abuses committed by young people have increased. According to last year’s data, there has been a very sharp increase in crimes suspected of being committed by people under the age of 15. Police statistics by 14-year-olds are the most violent age group in Finland.

Tfrom the most recent measurements, one could conclude that something is happening to the traditional Finnish culture of killing and violence. Traditionally, murders have mainly been committed by drunken men in their mutual disputes and in private apartments. The fact that acts committed in public places in Sweden have also been increasing points to the same direction of change.

However, the absolute number of homicides in Finland is low. That’s why trend lines can bounce up and down. The number of murders increased suddenly, for example, from 2003 to 2004, as well as from 1998 to 1999. Hopefully, this increase will also reverse soon.

The editorials are HS’s positions on a current topic. The articles are prepared by HS’s editorial department, and they reflect the journal principle line.