Newly released figures from the Swedish criminal statistics agency Brå have shown that reported rape cases have increased by 10 per cent in 2017 and the country saw some 1.5 million crimes in total.
An average of 20 rape incidents were reported per day in Sweden in 2017 for a total of 7,230 cases according to the newly released statistics. Other sexual crimes also increased last year including sexual abuse and exploitation which went up by seven per cent. Sexual assault was up 3 per cent resulting in a total of 10,300 cases, Expressen reports.
Stina Holmberg of the research and investigation council at Brå said that the statistics show an increase of rape cases in which the victims involved, most often women, know their attackers.
Holmberg claimed that the #MeToo movement, in which women have been encouraged to go public with sex assault incidents, has led to a surge in rape claims, but added: “We do not know if there are other factors that also increase the number of reports, that people are out more and may be exposed to more risky situations than before.”
A total of 1.5 million crimes were reported in 2017 but the statistics agency claims that the true number is likely higher as not all crimes are reported.
Adam Marttinen, a member of the populist Sweden Democrats commented on the statistics, saying: “There has previously been a strong overrepresentation of some immigrant groups in sexual offences. It would be interesting to study if there is a link between the enormous migration of recent years and the increase in sexual offences.”
The request is not the first time the Sweden Democrats and others have asked to see the ethnic backgrounds of criminals. Last year Justice Minister Morgan Johansson rejected a proposal from the Moderate Party to release the ethnic data saying all that mattered was that the suspects were mainly men.
Some private individuals and groups have attempted to collect the ethnic data of criminals like legal search engine Lexbase. In response to the site’s activities, Minister Johansson said the government would be restricting access to the site to professionals only.