The number of crimes reported in the Sultanate declined by 17% in the year 2015 compared to 2014, according to a recent bulletin issued by the (NCSI). Also, the number of offenders dropped 1.3% to about 26,655 compared with 27,012 in 2014.
The rate of crimes in the Sultanate stood at four crimes per thousand people with the crime frequency standing at one crime committed every 28 minutes. As for perpetrators, six out of every thousand people were reported be offenders. Among the offenders, violators of laws and regulations stood first forming 25.9% of the total offenders. Three-quarters of the offenders were found to have committed the crime of illegally entering the country. The percentage of offenders involved in financial wrongdoings stood at 20.7% of the total perpetrators, and the crimes included theft, arson, fraud and money laundering, among others. The number of offenders who did crimes against individuals accounted for 19.1% of the total perpetrators, and the crimes included abuses and insults, threats, destruction of public conveniences, murder, human trafficking and abortion.
As many as 18.2% of the total offenders were involved in drug offences. The perpetrators of alcohol and related offenses accounted for 3.4% of the total perpetrators. Offenders who violated public decency and ethics (including prostitution, assaults, public gambling, adultery and inciting sodomy and debauchery) constituted 2.6% of the total perpetrators. The lowest percentage of offenders committed crimes in violation of the arms and ammunition act at 0.7%.
Offenders aged 9 to 17 years accounted for 3.3% of the total offenders, and 49% of the juvenile offenders were involved in financial crimes. Young (18 to 29 years of age) offenders constituted 43% of the total number offenders.
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