The number of reported rape cases has increased by 33 percent over the last ten years, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå), with cases up eight percent on the last year alone.
Brå released preliminary statistics for 2018 this week that showed not only that the number of rape reports increased by eight percent on the last year, but that reports of rape against children had increased even more, by 13 percent, Expressen reports.
Stina Söderman, a researcher and report author at Brå, commented on the preliminary findings, saying: “We have seen a clear increase in reported rape in recent years.”
According to the agency, 7,840 rapes were reported last year in Sweden, an increase of 614 compared to 2017, and rape reports against children aged 0-17 totalled 3,420. Only in cases of rapes against adult men did the statistics see a decrease compared to the previous year.
Over the last decade, the total increase in rape reports has been 33 percent, or 44 percent in the cases of rape against adult women, although some of the increases have been attributed to changes in Swedish law.
Overall, crime increased by two percent in 2018, with rising crime in most areas, and declines in thefts such as pickpocketing and burglary.
Violence, particularly deadly violence, has been a major issue in Sweden in recent years, with last year seeing a record number of fatal shootings and leading Stockholm police expert Gunnar Appelgren to describe some areas of the country as looking something like a “state at war”.
In the Swedish capital of Stockholm, there have been around 30 fatal shootings over the last two years but very few prosecutions due to the nature of the crimes often being related to gang violence.
Authorities saw only eight convictions during the two-year period.