Fewer criminal convictions among juveniles
For 2014, a downward trend in juvenile adjudications can be observed (a good 12,800 juvenile adjudications; -4% compared to 2013). This writes the according to the Federal Statistical Office.
While juvenile convictions for crimes against the criminal code decreased by 6% and for narcotics use by 1%, trafficking in narcotics recorded an increase of 21%, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
A total of just over 6,600 juvenile sentences were handed down for an offense under the Criminal Code. This represents a decrease of 6% compared to 2013. The decline is evident both in the quantitatively significant offenses against property (-7%) and in the less frequent violent offenses (-16%).
Adult judgments: stagnation at a high level
In the case of adult convictions, the conviction figures are stagnating at a peak of just over 110,100 convictions according to the new FSO results. Here, the declines in adult convictions under the Criminal Code (-7%) are offset by an increase in road traffic offenses (+6%) and narcotics trafficking (+2%).
For adults, there was a decrease in sentences based on the Criminal Code for 2014 (-7%). In total, just under 36,600 adult sentences were handed down. This trend is very much influenced by convictions for crimes against property - mostly thefts. These account for a good half of all sentences based on the Criminal Code. For theft, the decrease is 14% for 2014, after a total increase of 73% in the previous five years. Both the increase and last year's decrease can be largely attributed to convictions of persons who are not permanent residents of Switzerland (increase of +173% between 2008 and 2013, decrease of -15% between 2013 and 2014).
The detailed statistics is here viewable.
