More people convicted for sexual offences in Finland last year

A total of 51,856 criminal convictions were passed in district courts and courts of appeal at first instance in 2023 and the number was one per cent higher than in 2022, according to Statistics Finland.

A total of 910 sentences were given in the cases of sexual offences, which was 33 percent higher compared to the number of sentences in the previous year.

Criminal convictions against public authorities and public order increased second most, by 17 per cent, as 2,274 such convictions were given.

Of traffic offences the number of imputed sentences in courts of first instance decreased in 2023 by 15 per cent, narcotics offences decreased by 21 per cent and offences against life and health grew by 12 per cent compared to average numbers in 2019 to 2022.

Chapter 20 of the Criminal Code on sexual offences was renewed at the beginning of 2023. Eighty-eight per cent of sexual offences that became final in 2023 were sentenced according to the offence headings of the old act.

Thirty-three per cent more sentences were passed for sexual offences as the main offence in 2023 than in the previous year.

The numbers of fines and summary penal orders issued in courts of first instance in 2023 remained on level with the previous years, but fine orders issued by the police grew by four per cent from the previous year.