Fewer burglaries again
Burglaries in Switzerland fell by a further 11% in 2016. While 2012 saw the previous high since the revision of statistics in 2009, with 201 burglaries registered by the police per day, this figure fell to 127 in 2016.
In 2016, offenses against the Criminal Code decreased by 4.1% and those against the Aliens Act by 0.7%, as shown in the police crime statistics (PKS) of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Crimes against the Narcotics Act recorded a decrease of 3.3%, while trafficking in narcotics remained unchanged. Burglaries (burglaries and sneak-ins) were again down between 2015 and 2016 (-11%), corresponding to 5.6 burglaries per 1000 inhabitants.
Referrals for other thefts also down
This downward trend can also be observed in other forms of theft: unspecified thefts, snatch thefts, trick thefts, pickpocketing, thefts from/to vehicles (with or without vehicle burglary) and vehicle thefts.
On the other hand, referrals for libel, slander and defamation increased by 16.5 and 4% respectively between 2015 and 2016. All of these offenses have seen an increase since the 2009 revision of statistics, and defamation has even more than doubled, rising from 667 offenses in 2009 to 1384 in 2016.
Every three weeks, a woman dies from domestic violence
In 2016, 19 people, 18 of them women, died in Switzerland as a result of domestic violence. In other words, on average, one such homicide against a woman occurred every 20 days. Detailed information on this will be published in June.
Number of accused minors halved
The number of minors accused of violations of the Criminal Code (7938) decreased again compared to the previous year (-1.4%). In 2016, only half as many minors were reported as in 2009, and they now account for 10 percent of all defendants. The number of accused young adults (18- to 24-year-olds) also decreased (-0.3%) and reached the lowest level since 2009. Among adults aged 25 and older, the number of accused increased by 2.4% to 55,984 compared to the previous year.
Detailed information on BFS website
The annual report summarizes the results of the police crime statistics. More detailed information on individual topics such as domestic violence, homicides or crimes against property can be found on the FSO website. There, an interactive database on criminal offenses and defendants by canton as well as interactive maps and graphics are also available.
Further information at: www.bfs.admin.ch
Police crime statistics (PKS) - annual report 2016, order number: 1116-1600, 18 Fr.
