The number of rapes in Sweden went up by ten per cent last year, with sex attacks on boys up eight per cent, new figures have revealed.
There were a total of 7,230 rapes in 2017, according to preliminary statistics from the country’s National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå).
Figures also show that while sex-related attacks on girls aged under 15 fell by four per cent, they were up eight per cent for boys in the same age category.
It comes after Sweden last week launched an investigation into the soaring number of rapes after it emerged that one in 24 women had experienced some form of sexual offence between 2012 and 2016.
The country’s Moderate Party demanded to know if the alarming figures are linked to migration after a probe was launched to find out the reason for the spike in incidents.
The number of rapes in Sweden went up by ten per cent last year, with sex attacks on boys up eight per cent, new figures have revealed. Pictured: The capital, Stockholm
The latest Brå statistics show sexual abuse cases were up by seven per cent, and sexual molestation cases up by three per cent.
Figures also show that over the last decade, reported sex-related attacks in Sweden have increased by 34 per cent.
Experts pointed out that one reason for this could be put down to Swedish women being increasingly encouraged to report rapes which in the past may have been ignored.
Last week, Brå survey figures revealed that 4.1 per cent of women had experienced some form of sexual offence between 2012 and 2016.
Sweden’s National Council on Crime Prevention carried out the survey, which was published in November 2017 and has now been tasked with examining the increase, according to The Local.
There were a total of 7,230 rapes in 2017, according to preliminary statistics from the country’s National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå). Pictured: Two Swedish street security wardens
Participants were told that the term ‘sexual offences’ covered a range of crimes from assault to exhibitionism. Figures were drawn from the answers given rather than from police reports.
Government bosses have urged (Brå) to determine ‘to the greatest extent possible’ how the increase has developed – including an analysis on whether it can be linked to a particular group of perpetrators, according to The Local.
At the time of the publication of the survey, Åsa Strid from Brå told The Local: ‘These results raise a number of questions about why so many more people are reporting that they have experienced sexual offences.’
The group’s media officer said it had received its orders to carry out an investigation but that the work was still at the early stages.
Last year’s survey also found that the proportion of Sweden’s population who had been victims of ‘crime against an individual’ was at its highest since 2006, when records began. This included crimes such as sexual offences, assault, threats, muggings and fraud.