280,000 offenses were fully investigated in 2022, according to new statistics from Statistics Norway. Of these, 120,500 were cleared and 61,500 persons were charged. It is the lowest number since the beginning of the 90s, writes SSB. Fewer solved cases The solved percentage, i.e. the proportion of police investigations that end with someone being charged, fell from 49 to 43 per cent from 2021 to 2022. The decline comes, among other things, from the fact that far more offenses have been settled and dismissed due to a lack of information about perpetrators , and that fewer offenses still result in charges, write SSB. – This very much depended on which offense was actually reported to the police. We see that there is a large increase in theft and fraud, and these are crimes that are largely ignored, especially due to a lack of information about the perpetrator, says criminologist at Statistics Norway, Kari Malene Jørgensen Dyrstad. Big differences There are big differences between which cases are solved and which are not, depending on the degree of seriousness, the use of resources by the police and the prosecution and access to evidence and witnesses. In 2022, for example, 100 percent of all murders will be solved, including all cases of aggravated rape of children under the age of 14. Almost 90 per cent of cases such as gross rape, smuggling and gross tax evasion are resolved. At the bottom of the table find a theft from persons in the public sector with a 1 per cent clearance. Bicycle theft, for example, which is known as something the police do not prioritize, was solved in only 2 percent of the cases in 2022. Still a decline in drug cases Not since the beginning of the 90s have fewer people been charged. The biggest drop is in the number of people charged in drug cases. It fits into the trend we have seen in recent years, with fewer and fewer people being targeted in such cases. In 2022, 5,250 people were charged with drug offenses as their main offence. At its peak, in 2013-2014, there were more than twice as many – over 14,000 a year. – This may have to do with these changes in the prosecution of drug offenses in recent years, says Dyrstad. – Yes, the fact that people who have doses for their own use should no longer be punished? – Yes, we see a decrease in use and possession in drug law offences, Dyrstad replies. More young girls steal The last eight years have seen an increase in charges in theft cases where the perpetrators are young people under the criminal minimum age. In 2022, 3,800 children and young people in this age group will be charged with one or more offences. This increase comes mainly from theft. – More girls than boys are victims of theft. But this particularly applies to minor shoplifting for girls, while the proportion of boys is clearly the largest for all other crime groups, says Dyrstad. More sexual offenses solved Fewer perpetrators were charged with sexual offenses in 2022 than in previous years, but the number of charges still increased sharply. It comes from the fact that a person can be charged with several offences. – This means that individuals are liable for several offences. Major abuse cases in particular can have a major impact on the annual fluctuations seen in the statistics, says Dyrstad. The increase mainly comes from offenses related to pornography, the production and display of sexual abuse or the sexualisation of children, according to Statistics Norway. – So to look at the overall picture: are there more or fewer offenses in this country? – It is difficult to speculate, but the figures at least show a decrease in completed investigated offenses over time, the researcher replies.
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Several offenses cleared up in 2022, but the police solve fewer and fewer, according to Statistics Norway – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
