Crime in Sweden
Encyclopedia
The 9,350,000 inhabitants of Sweden
reported 1,410,000 offences to the authorities in 2009 (approximately 151 offences/1000 inhabitants). The number of reported crime
s 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.
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.
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. Some increases in the statistics are attributed to a higher level of reporting.
study, Sweden has one of the highest rates of reported rape in Europe.
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) , 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, much earlier than other Western countries - e.g. Germany outlawed it only in 1997).
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. 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", (however in 2006 Sweden was ranked as the number one country in gender equality
). Immigrants were five times more likely to be investigated for sex crimes.
s 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.
Stockholm
's reported homicide rate is on par with most capitals, 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.
n 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. 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.
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. 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.
The same study also showed that only about 50% of the muggings were reported to police.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
reported 1,410,000 offences to the authorities in 2009 (approximately 151 offences/1000 inhabitants). The number of reported crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
s 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.
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.
Types of crimes reported
Of the crimes reported to the authorities in 2003, 53% were theft-related, 13% were contact crimes, 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. Some increases in the statistics are attributed to a higher level of reporting.
Rapes and sexual harassment
In 2009 there were 15,700 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. In April 2009, it was reported that sex crimes had increased by 58% over the previous ten years. According to a 2009 European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
study, Sweden has one of the highest rates of reported rape in Europe.
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) , 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, much earlier than other Western countries - e.g. Germany outlawed it only in 1997).
However, a different view maintains that Sweden has indeed a serious problem with sexual crimes: in 2009, in a European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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. 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
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
blamed Sweden's "deeply rooted patriarchal gender norms", (however in 2006 Sweden was ranked as the number one country in gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
). Immigrants were five times more likely to be investigated for sex crimes.
Homicides
In 2009, there were a total of 232 reported homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s 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.
Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
's reported homicide rate is on par with most capitals, 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.
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 ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries. By comparison, most industrial countries in Europe had a rate of around 100 (England & Wales 125, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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. Some of these numbers may be due to variations in prison types, for instance Sweden makes frequent use of electronic fetters
Electronic tagging
Electronic tagging is a form of non-surreptitious surveillance consisting of an electronic device attached to a person or vehicle, especially certain criminals, allowing their whereabouts to be monitored. In general, devices locate themselves using GPS and report their position back to a control...
, 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.
Notorious criminals and crimes
- Elin Krantz rape murder (2010) for which Ephrem Tadele Yohannes was convicted.
- Knutby murder (2004) for which Sara Svensson and PastorPastorThe word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
Helge FossmoHelge FossmoHelge Arnold Fossmo , a pentecostal pastor sentenced to life imprisonment for solicitation of the Knutby murder in Sweden in 2004.-Life before Knutby:...
were convicted. - Anna LindhAnna LindhYlva Anna Maria Lindh was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, Chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League 1984-1990, Member of Parliament 1982-1985 and 1998-2003...
murder (2003) for which Mijailo MijailovićMijailo MijailovicMijailo Mijailović is the self-confessed and convicted assassin of the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh, whom he stabbed on 10 September 2003 at the NK department store in Stockholm...
was convicted. - Björn Söderberg murder (1999) for which neo-Nazis Hampus HellekantHampus HellekantKarl Helge Hampus Hellekant, later Karl Svensson is a Swedish neo-Nazi who was sentenced to 11 years of prison for the murder of syndicalist union member Björn Söderberg on October 12, 1999. Shortly before the murder, Hellekant and some of his friends created "death lists" of more than 1200...
and Björn Lindberg Hernlund were convicted. - John HronJohn HronJohn Hron was a Swedish boy of Czech origin who was tortured and murdered by four young men on 17 August 1995. The month before his death, John had won a bronze medal in the national canoeing youth championships.-Murder:John was camping with a friend by the small lake Ingetorpssjön near the town...
murder (1995) for which Daniel Hansson and other neo-Nazi was convicted. - Olof PalmeOlof PalmeSven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...
murder (1986) for which Christer PetterssonChrister PetterssonChrister Pettersson was a Swedish criminal who was a suspect in the 1986 assassination of Olof Palme, the Prime Minister of Sweden...
was convicted, but in a higher instance freed. - Jacob Johan AnckarströmJacob Johan AnckarströmJacob Johan Anckarström was a Swedish military officer who was convicted and executed for regicide. He was the son of Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder. He served as a captain in King Gustav III's regiment between 1778 and 1783...
murdered king Gustav IIIGustav III of SwedenGustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
in 1792, which became the subject of Verdi's opera Un Ballo in MascheraUn ballo in mascheraUn ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
. He was executed. - Clark OlofssonClark OlofssonClark Olofsson , new name Daniel Demuynck, is a Swedish criminal best known for his involvement in the Norrmalmstorg robbery, a hostage situation that was the basis of the term Stockholm syndrome.- Early life :...
, a life long criminal sentenced for various high-profile crimes. One of the main men behind the Norrmalmstorg robberyNorrmalmstorg robberyThe Norrmalmstorg robbery was a bank robbery and hostage crisis best known as the origin of the term Stockholm syndrome. It occurred at the Norrmalmstorg square in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973...
(1973), which fostered the term Stockholm syndromeStockholm syndromeIn psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
. - Mattias FlinkMattias FlinkMattias Flink is a Swedish spree killer who killed seven people on June 11, 1994, in Falun, Sweden. He was at the time a fänrik in the Swedish Army.-Early years:...
, a military lieutenant who unprovoked opened fire with an Ak 5Ak 5The Ak 5 is the Swedish version of the FN FNC assault rifle with certain modifications, mostly to adapt the weapon to the Swedish climate. The Ak 5 is the service rifle of the Swedish Armed Forces. Ak 5 is an abbreviation of automatkarbin 5...
in FalunFalunFalun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...
1994, killing seven. - Jackie ArklövJackie ArklövJackie Banny Arklöv is a Swedish convicted criminal. Arklöv is an ex-neo-Nazi and former mercenary in the Yugoslav wars, who murdered two police officers during a botched robbery in 1999.-Early life:...
, Tony Olsson and Andreas Axelsson; bankrobbers who in 1999 shot and killed two police officers outside MalexanderMalexanderMalexander is a minor village in Boxholm Municipality, Sweden. The village is known for the "Malexander murders" which occurred in 1999, when two Swedish police officers were killed by bank robbers.- Malexander murders :...
, executing them by head-shot from close range with their own service pistols. - John AusoniusJohn AusoniusJohn Wolfgang Alexander Ausonius , known in the media as Lasermannen is a Swedish convicted murderer, bank robber, and attempted serial killer. From August 1991 to January 1992 he shot eleven people in the Stockholm and Uppsala area, most of whom were immigrants, killing one and seriously injuring...
, the "Laser Man", who shot eleven foreign-looking people between 1991–1992, killing one. - Thomas QuickThomas QuickThomas Quick is a convicted Swedish serial killer who has confessed to more than 30 murders, although he has only eight convictions, two of which have been overturned...
, serial killer convicted of eight crimes, but confessing 14 others between 1964–1990.
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 BergsjönBergsjön
Bergsjön is a district in eastern Gothenburg, Sweden. On January 1, 2011, Bergsjön and Kortedala together became the Eastern District of Gothenburg, as a part of a larger reorganization of the City of Gothenburg where the number of district councils has been halved to ten. Bergsjön, as part of...
in Göteborg; Rinkeby
Rinkeby
Rinkeby is a district in Rinkeby-Kista borough, Stockholm, Sweden. Rinkeby had 15,051 inhabitants as at December 31, 2007.Rinkeby is noted for its high concentration of immigrants and people with immigrant ancestry...
in Stockholm; and Rosengård
Rosengård
Rosengård, literally "Rose court", is a city district in Malmö, Sweden. As of 1 January 2007, the population was 21,955, of which 60 percent were born outside of Sweden. In 2008 a total 86% of the population in the city district was of foreign background...
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
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, 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. 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
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
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
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(~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
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).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 InstituteStephen Roth InstituteThe Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism is a research institute at Tel Aviv University in Israel. It is a resource for information, provides a forum for academic discussion, and fosters research on issues concerning antisemitic and racist theories and...
for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism / Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:... - Swedish Mafia: fighting a losing battle The Local.se 8 November 2007