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The crime statistics for 2021 show that overall there were fewer crimes – but more crime in cyberspace.
When you order something online and it is not delivered – or when you pay online and the data is misused: these are examples of cybercrime. Such cases increased by around a quarter in 2021 compared to the previous year, when cybercrime cases were first recorded.
Legend:
Pickpocketing has become more difficult during the pandemic. That’s why criminals turned to the Internet.
key stone
Our lives have shifted more into the digital space during the pandemic over the past two years, and the perpetrators have noticed that, says Dirk Baier. He is a professor and head of the Institute for Delinquency and Crime Prevention at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW.
“It’s harder to pickpocket, for example, because people are less outside. So attempts are made to get the victims’ money via the Internet or social media,” Baier continued. At the same time, people are becoming increasingly aware. “They notice faster if someone wants to cheat on them over the Internet and they go to the police faster.” And make an ad.
Fewer homicides than in a long time
The statistics for the last year show a different picture of serious violent crimes: 42 people were killed in Switzerland in 2021, which is the lowest value since 1982.
More than half of the homicides occurred in the home, in current or in broken relationships. The victims are mostly women. For Baier, this shows how difficult it is to prevent such serious crimes in this environment. Prevention and intervention must be further expanded, he concludes.
The pandemic is not a driver of domestic violence crime
But there is also a ray of hope in this area: the general numbers of crimes in the area of domestic violence have decreased. “The pandemic is not a driver of domestic violence crimes,” Baier concludes. Corresponding fears at the beginning of the pandemic have not been confirmed. It remains unclear how high the number of unreported cases is.
Juvenile delinquency has increased
And something else is noticeable when looking at the statistics: among the accused there are fewer adults, but more minors. This means that juvenile delinquency has increased again, including serious crimes.
This continues the development of the last six years. However, according to the expert Baier, it is difficult to give specific reasons for this.