Analytics, Crime, Estonia, Law and Regulations, Legislation

From January to the end of July, Estonian law enforcement bodies registered 15,799 offenses, 1,515 cases or nine% fewer than during the same period last year, it appears from figures published by the Justice Ministry.

The most common offense was theft, of which 4,588 cases were registered in the seven moths or 14% fewer than the year before. Cases of physical abuse numbered 2,585, marking a reduction of 13%. Traffic related offenses meanwhile dropped 13% from 2,207 in January-July last year to 1,915 this year. Fraud cases, the number of which had been increasing in previous years, declined from 1,071 to 885.

Offenses against person numbered 3,252, including 41 cases of causing of serious damage to health, compared with 45 such offenses registered in January-July 2016. The number of manslaughters and murders, including attempts thereof, was 22, up from 20 in the first seven months of last year. Rape cases numbered 80, compared with 93 in the first seven months of last year.

The few categories of crime that increased year over year included robbery, cases of which numbered 133 this year and 132 in the first seven months of 2016. Cases of serious breach of public order increased from 538 to 758 and cases of handling of narcotic substances in a big amount from 598 to 709.

In 2016, a reduction in crime rates in Estonia continued, as the total number of offenses declined by 11% year over year. The number of registered offenses in the 12 months was 28,986, 3,589 fewer than in 2015.