The number one serious crime was property crime
The number of actual cases reported to the Police increased by 18.2% year-on-year in 2022, with the crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) rising to 584 in compare 501 in 2021 and 482 in 2020.
According to the Crime Statistics for 2022, the first place in serious offenses was held by property offenses with 39.8% with the second group of offenses being offenses that offend the public in general with a percentage of 19.4%.
In particular, in 2022, a total of 5,402 serious crime cases were reported to the Police, of which 5,332 were recorded as genuine cases, compared to 4,580 serious crime cases reported in 2021, of which 4,512 genuine cases were registered.
Both in 2022 and in 2021, the first place in serious offenses is held by the group of offenses against property with 39.8% and 37.5% respectively and in second place are offenses that harm the public in general with 19.4% and 19.5% respectively.
According to the Statistics Office, the serious crime rate (or crime rate), per 100,000 inhabitants, was estimated at 584 in 2022 and 501 in 2021, compared to 482 in 2020.
Majority of offenses against natural persons
Besides, in the 5,332 actual cases of serious crimes in 2022, 4,868 victims were recorded, of which 1,053 were legal entities. Of the 3,815 natural persons, 78.3% were Cypriots, 7.2% were citizens of EU-27 countries, while 14.5% were citizens of non-EU-27 countries.
According to in 2021, in the 4,512 actual cases of serious crimes, 4,241 victims were recorded, of which 1,037 were legal entities. Of the 3,204 natural persons, 80.7% were Cypriots, 6.6% were citizens of EU-27 countries, while 12.6% were citizens of countries outside the EU-27.
In both years, the majority of legal entities (37.5% in 2022 and 42.3% in 2021) were victims of the group of offenses that offend the public in general, while the majority of natural persons (54.7% in 2022 and 52.7% in 2021) were victims of property crimes.
Offenders involved in serious crimes
A total of 6,917 offenders were involved in committing serious crimes (actual cases) in 2022. Of the 6,885 who were natural persons, 961 were women (14.0%), which demonstrates that women's participation in serious crime remains comparatively low compared to with that of men.
The main crimes committed by both women and men were property crimes (36.8% of female offenders and 40.6% of men), while in as regards the nationality of the perpetrators who were natural persons, 56.4% were Cypriots and 32.2% were nationals of countries outside the EU-27.
Approximately the same data are presented in 2021. A total of 5,896 offenders were involved in the commission of serious offenses (real cases). Of the 5,877 natural persons, women constituted 12.1%, while 60.8% of all natural persons were Cypriots and 25.2% nationals of countries outside the EU-27. The main crimes committed by both men and women were property crimes (37.6% and 26.2% respectively).
Juvenile delinquency
In 2022, a total of 713 minors (under 18 years of age) were involved in committing crimes, both serious and minor, of which 60, or a percentage of 8.4%, were girls.
345 juveniles were involved in serious crimes, while 368 in minor crimes.
As regards the nationality of juvenile offenders who are involved in both serious and minor crimes, a percentage of 54.0% was Cypriots, while 27.3% were citizens of EU-27 countries.
In 2021, a total of 528 minors were involved in committing crimes, of which 69 were girls (13.1%). 321 minors were involved in serious offenses while 207 were involved in minor offences.
As regards the nationality of minor offenders involved in both serious and minor offences, 65.9% were Cypriots and 17.4% were nationals of countries outside the EU-27.
Increase in cases heard in the Courts
According to the Statistical Service, the number of persons brought to court and whose cases were tried in 2022 amounted to 64,276, of which 50,150 were men and 14,126 women, marking an increase of 9.5% in relation to with the corresponding values of 2021 which numbered 58,704 persons (46,303 men and 12,401 women). The ratio of the number of persons convicted to the number of persons brought to trial was calculated to be 0.58 in 2022 and 0.57 in 2021.
The percentage of women in all persons brought to trial increased over time from 7.2% in 1976, to 15.1% in 1990 and to 17.1% in 2010. In 2020 the corresponding percentage reached 22.3%, in 2021 it decreased to 21.1% while in 2022 it increased to 22.0%.
Convictions
The total number of persons convicted in 2022 amounted to in 36,984, of which 28,581 or 77.3% were men. In 2021, 33,563 persons were convicted, of which 25,715 (or 76.6%) were men.
Majority in traffic offences
In both 2022 and 2021, the majority of convictions were for traffic offences. More specifically, in 2022 57.2% of men and 67.0% of women were convicted of traffic offences, while the corresponding values for 2021 concerned 53.4% of men and 59.6% of women convicted.
Prisons
In addition, the prison population on September 1, 2022 amounted to 927 persons, 852 men and 75 women.
The vast majority of prisoners (97.0%) were 21 years of age or older, while 71.3% were convicted and 28.7% were under trial. Cypriot prisoners made up 44.8% of the total.
The corresponding figures for 2021 were 645 men or 91.2% of the total prison population that had risen to 707 persons on September 1, 2021. Prisoners aged 21 and over made up 95.9% of the total, Cypriots 51.3%, while convicts 72.1%.
Admissions of convicts to prisons
During 2022, admissions of convicts to prison amounted to 1,001 (833 men and 168 women), of which 750 men and 164 women had been convicted of criminal offenses by the Criminal Courts and the Court Martial . The corresponding figures for 2021 were 727 admissions (624 men and 103 women), of which 568 men and 101 women had been convicted of criminal offences.
The rest had been convicted of offenses against the military penal code, or for non-payment of a fine or debt. The number of conviction admissions per 100,000 residents aged 16 and over was estimated at 132 in 2022, compared to 97 in 2021. The corresponding rate for felony convictions was 121 in 2022 and 90 in 2021.
< b>Duration of stay in Prison
The majority of sentences handed down in 2022 were up to 18 months and as a result the median length of prison sentence was estimated at 9.6 months compared to 9.1 months in 2021.
According to Stat. Service, the actual length of time a prisoner remains in prison, however, is generally less than that imposed on him by sentence, as it is greatly reduced by the granting of a pardon.
Consequently, the median length of stay in prison time for convicts overall, based on 2022 dismissals, was 4.1 months compared to 3.6 months in 2021 (based on the corresponding number of dismissals).
Based on data from of all convict admissions in 2022, the majority (or over 85%) had no previous prison sentence.
Of those who had previously served at least one prison sentence, 39 .3% had been readmitted to prison within less than 12 months of their previous release from prison. Of these, a percentage of the order of 58.0% had been convicted for the same group of offense as in their previous prison sentence.
