ADULT PERPETRATORS OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES BY TYPE OF DECISION, 2021
In 2021, public prosecutor’s offices in the Republic of Croatia decided upon crime reports for 47 872 adult perpetrators of criminal offences, which was 0.8% less than in 2020. The number of accused persons increased by 6.3% and the number of convicted persons by 5.6%, as compared to the previous year.
The share of persons reported for criminal offences against property, which was the most frequent type of offence in 2021, was 49.9%, of accused persons it was 28.6% and of convicted persons it was 29.3%. They were followed by criminal offences against personal freedom, with 11.8% of reported, 16.2% of accused and 15.5% of convicted perpetrators.
By type of pronounced criminal penalties or other measures, the most frequent one was suspended imprisonment (80.5%), followed by unsuspended imprisonment (16.7%), suspended fine (1.2%) and unsuspended fine (0.8%).
1. ADULT PERPETRATORS OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES – REPORTED, ACCUSED AND CONVICTED
Reported
Accused
Convicted
Total
Women
Total
Women
Total
Women
2020
48 272
5 347
13 615
1 904
11 634
1 565
2021
47 872
5 564
14 471
2 073
12 286
1 736
Indices 2021 2020
99,2
104,1
106,3
108,9
105,6
110,9
2. DECISIONS OF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICES, BY TYPE OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES, 2021
Total
Criminal offences against
Life and limb
Personal freedom
Sexual freedom
Sexual maltreatment and sexual exploitation of children
Marriage, family and children
People˙s health
Public safety
Safety in traffic
Total
47 872
1 765
5 669
303
326
2 782
1 357
458
1 090
Unknown perpetrators
18 491
141
270
29
40
8
32
117
38
Known perpetrators
29 381
1 624
5 399
274
286
2 774
1 325
341
1 052
Women
5 564
179
681
2
12
736
163
41
174
Reports rejected
12 679
605
2 709
83
44
1 233
282
132
180
Interrupted investigation
4
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Terminated investigation
337
49
6
30
11
7
49
8
2
Indictment
16 361
969
2 684
161
231
1 534
994
201
870
Immediate – overall
13 478
763
2 586
81
61
1 501
375
156
768
Without warrant
7 141
449
1 413
50
57
1 250
170
82
148
With warrant
6 337
314
1 173
31
4
251
205
74
620
After investigation
2 777
194
49
79
169
23
619
41
102
Against mentally incompetent defendant
106
12
49
1
1
10
-
4
-
Duration of investigative imprisonment
2 731
247
623
64
80
259
222
19
13
Under 15 days
230
14
45
6
3
15
11
-
3
15 – 30 days
1 374
98
409
13
24
168
71
9
2
1 – 2 months
539
45
116
9
23
50
54
6
4
2 – 3 months
338
28
44
19
12
22
45
3
3
3 – 6 months
185
47
9
14
16
4
18
1
1
6 – 12 months
65
15
-
3
2
-
23
-
-
2. DECISIONS OF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICES, BY TYPE OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES, 2021
(continued)
Criminal offences against
Other criminal offences
Secondary criminal legislation (apart from Penal Code)
Indices 2021 2020
Property
Economy
Counterfeiting
Official duty
Judiciary
Public order
Total
23 910
1 502
2 094
1 477
919
1 962
2 235
23
99,2
Unknown perpetrators
16 090
32
463
16
24
84
1 107
-
93,8
Known perpetrators
7 820
1 470
1 631
1 461
895
1 878
1 128
23
102,9
Women
1 496
269
341
612
350
239
267
2
104,1
Reports rejected
3 263
690
390
1 362
657
380
666
3
101,2
Interrupted investigation
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
-
100,0
Terminated investigation
67
47
4
1
2
25
29
-
117,0
Indictment
4 490
733
1 237
98
236
1 470
433
20
104,0
Immediate – overall
3 993
420
1 212
19
212
919
393
19
102,7
Without warrant
2 232
203
264
10
68
629
114
2
102,3
With warrant
1 761
217
948
9
144
290
279
17
103,1
After investigation
486
313
25
79
20
539
38
1
110,2
Against mentally incompetent defendant
11
-
-
-
4
12
2
-
117,8
Duration of investigative imprisonment
456
62
95
6
17
545
23
-
103,3
Under 15 days
26
7
26
3
4
66
1
-
95,0
15 – 30 days
253
26
50
2
7
237
5
-
102,3
1 – 2 months
93
3
12
-
4
111
9
-
109,6
2 – 3 months
58
7
4
-
1
86
6
-
107,6
3 – 6 months
24
15
2
1
-
31
2
-
113,5
6 – 12 months
2
4
1
-
1
14
-
-
71,4
3. COURTS DECISIONS AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES OR OTHER MEASURES, BY TYPE OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES, 2021
Total
Criminal offences against
Life and limb
Personal freedom
Sexual freedom
Sexual maltreatment and sexual exploitation of children
Marriage, family and children
People˙s health
Public safety
Safety in traffic
Total
14 471
870
2 343
127
133
1 173
841
154
906
Women
2 073
71
218
2
4
223
82
11
172
Convicted persons
12 286
702
1 901
97
115
1 031
786
103
866
Women
1 736
56
176
2
4
187
71
7
159
Not convicted persons
2 185
168
442
30
18
142
55
51
40
Rebuff
79
3
13
-
-
4
3
1
-
Terminated criminal proceeding
890
70
171
9
4
73
15
19
19
Judgement of acquittal
652
39
73
13
8
22
25
23
16
Judgement rejecting charges
386
29
110
8
2
21
12
3
5
Mentally incompetent persons – coercive accommodation or outward treatment
178
27
75
-
4
22
-
5
-
Criminal penalties and other measures – total
12 286
702
1 901
97
115
1 031
786
103
866
Imprisonment – unsuspended
2 047
159
213
42
56
75
207
24
76
Long-term imprisonment
4
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20 years
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15 – 20 years
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10 – 15 years
21
9
-
1
1
-
1
-
-
5 – 10 years
41
12
-
7
5
-
3
-
3
3 – 5 years
121
22
1
9
13
-
18
1
11
2 – 3 years
137
14
2
8
5
4
27
-
7
1 – 2 years
412
18
27
6
9
21
46
8
16
6 – 12 months
1 055
65
130
10
22
44
107
14
35
3 – 6 months
235
13
50
1
1
6
5
1
4
Up to 3 months
17
2
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fine – unsuspended
96
2
8
-
-
2
9
-
20
Suspended imprisonment
9 893
531
1 670
55
49
954
525
78
735
Partially suspended imprisonment
660
26
56
8
19
82
90
3
25
Suspended fine
145
1
6
-
-
-
10
-
25
Judicial admonition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Educational measures
50
6
4
-
5
-
10
-
5
Juvenile imprisonment
2
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
1
Suspension of juvenile imprisonment
51
3
-
-
5
-
24
-
3
Convicted, but no penal sentence
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
Fine as additional penalty
382
4
3
1
-
1
83
-
3
Security measures
805
79
267
9
15
149
48
10
101
Confiscation of pecuniary benefit acquired by a criminal offence
788
2
-
2
1
-
153
-
-
Confiscation of objects
2 180
53
117
6
16
14
533
14
4
Substitution of imprisonment or fine (community sanctions)
575
41
63
5
10
23
77
7
25
Previous convictions
2 995
158
444
28
21
214
177
20
39
Duration of investigative imprisonment
2 554
190
503
46
59
203
235
25
27
Under 30 days
841
52
143
15
11
46
60
9
15
30 days – 3 months
673
40
190
7
15
61
56
7
8
3 – 6 months
634
30
133
10
9
77
60
5
1
6 – 12 months
276
27
37
5
12
18
32
3
3
12 – 18 months
75
16
-
7
4
1
19
1
-
18 – 24 months
28
9
-
1
6
-
5
-
-
2 – 4 years
27
16
-
1
2
-
3
-
-
3. COURTS DECISIONS AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES OR OTHER MEASURES, BY TYPE OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES, 2021
(continued)
Criminal offences against
Other criminal offences
Secondary criminal legislation (apart from Penal Code)
Indices 2021 2020
Property
Economy
Counterfeiting
Official duty
Judiciary
Public order
Total
4 145
789
997
170
202
953
650
18
106,3
Women
688
128
165
29
72
52
149
7
108,9
Convicted persons
3 605
607
897
111
176
880
391
18
105,6
Women
594
107
155
22
64
48
77
7
110,9
Not convicted persons
540
182
100
59
26
73
259
-
110,3
Rebuff
11
3
2
3
6
-
30
-
80,6
Terminated criminal proceeding
224
79
23
18
4
23
139
-
119,8
Judgement of acquittal
173
64
66
24
14
29
63
-
94,6
Judgement rejecting charges
107
36
8
14
2
3
26
-
121,0
Mentally incompetent persons – coercive accommodation or outward treatment
25
-
1
-
-
18
1
-
134,8
Criminal penalties and other measures – total
3 605
607
897
111
176
880
391
18
105,6
Imprisonment – unsuspended
761
107
50
40
19
179
39
-
105,8
Long-term imprisonment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
66,7
20 years
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
-
400,0
15 – 20 years
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10 – 15 years
-
-
-
-
-
-
9
-
233,3
5 – 10 years
1
2
-
3
-
-
5
-
102,5
3 – 5 years
36
5
1
-
-
2
2
-
94,5
2 – 3 years
40
11
1
4
-
13
1
-
119,1
1 – 2 years
135
27
8
9
-
76
6
-
109,9
6 – 12 months
429
56
30
15
13
78
7
-
104,0
3 – 6 months
110
6
10
9
6
9
4
-
101,3
Up to 3 months
10
-
-
-
-
1
1
-
113,3
Fine – unsuspended
13
9
2
-
6
2
23
-
98,0
Suspended imprisonment
2 786
486
832
71
149
685
274
13
105,6
Partially suspended imprisonment
154
23
15
8
1
141
9
-
119,1
Suspended fine
13
5
12
-
2
12
54
5
107,4
Judicial admonition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Educational measures
18
-
-
-
-
1
1
-
119,0
Juvenile imprisonment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
40,0
Suspension of juvenile imprisonment
14
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
110,9
Convicted, but no penal sentence
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
28,6
Fine as additional penalty
60
65
7
13
-
130
12
-
118,3
Security measures
92
4
3
5
2
18
3
-
116,0
Confiscation of pecuniary benefit acquired by a criminal offence
372
113
23
26
-
76
20
-
98,0
Confiscation of objects
199
181
533
9
7
441
53
-
118,0
Substitution of imprisonment or fine (community sanctions)
198
35
14
21
11
43
2
-
100,2
Previous convictions
1 367
146
100
18
44
159
57
3
100,0
Duration of investigative imprisonment
600
80
147
30
8
377
24
-
104,2
Under 30 days
203
59
106
21
2
85
14
-
113,5
30 days – 3 months
143
6
26
5
4
102
3
-
92,3
3 – 6 months
160
7
8
-
1
129
4
-
109,7
6 – 12 months
72
7
5
1
1
52
1
-
95,2
12 – 18 months
13
-
2
3
-
9
-
-
129,3
18 – 24 months
6
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
107,7
2 – 4 years
3
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
90,0
G-1. REPORTED, ACCUSED AND CONVICTED ADULT PERSONS, 2020 AND 2021
Number of persons
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics
G-2. CONVICTED ADULT PERSONS, BY CRIMINAL PENALTIES OR OTHER MEASURES, 2021
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics
G-3. REPORTED, ACCUSED AND CONVICTED ADULT PERSONS, 2012 – 2021
Number of persons
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics
NOTES ON METHODOLOGY
Source and methods of data collection
On the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20), data on criminal offences of adult reported, accused and convicted persons are collected by regular statistical surveys, which use the following statistical reports: the Statistical Report for an Adult against Whom Criminal Proceedings Based on Crime Report and the Interlocutory Proceedings Have Been Concluded (SK-1 form) and the Statistical Report for an Accused Adult against Whom Criminal Proceedings Have Been Validly Concluded (SK-2 form).
Statistical reports are filled in by competent public prosecutor’s offices after the final decision has taken place as well as county and municipal courts of first instance that act after the criminal procedure was validly concluded. Observation units are adult perpetrators of criminal offences, who can be either direct perpetrators, accomplices, instigators or assistants.
On 1 January 2013, the new Penal Code (NN, Nos 125/11, 144/12, 56/15, 61/15 – correction, 101/17, 118/18, 126/19 and 84/21) entered into force. This code, besides implementing new and modifying existing general institutes of material criminal law, prescribes a new catalogue of criminal offences.
Coverage
Statistical surveys cover all adult perpetrators of criminal offences, whether reported, accused or convicted, in order to examine the volume and spread of crime for the whole territory of the Republic of Croatia.
Definitions
Crime, in terms of statistical surveys, ranges from reporting a criminal offence to the valid conclusion of legal proceedings by a public prosecutor’s office, that is, to pronouncing a valid court decision.
Adult perpetrators of criminal offences are persons who turned 18 at the time of committing the criminal offence and against whom proceedings based on crime report and interlocutory proceedings have been concluded and accused persons (including those who were charged on the basis of private suit) against whom legal proceedings have been validly concluded.
Person reported as known perpetrator is an adult perpetrator of a criminal offence against whom proceedings based on crime report and interlocutory proceedings have been concluded with a decision by which either the crime report is rejected, or the investigation was interrupted, or the investigation was terminated, or indictment was submitted.
Person reported as an unknown perpetrator is, starting with the 2015 reference year, an unknown person who was reported for a criminal offence to the public prosecutor. Until the end of 2014 reference year, an unknown perpetrator was defined as an unknown person who was reported for a criminal offence to the public prosecutor and who remains unknown even after one year from the day of the submission of the crime report. This change is expected to have a limited influence on data on total reported perpetrators as well as on reported unknown perpetrators, as it can be expected that a certain number of initially unknown perpetrators’ identities will be revealed during the same year, consequently resulting in double counting.
Accused person is an adult person against whom an indictment, accusatory motion or private suit is filed before the court, against whom criminal proceedings have been concluded with a valid court decision by which the proceedings are terminated, indictment is dropped, the person is acquitted, the accusation is rejected, a mentally incompetent person is assigned to a coercive accommodation or outward treatment or a perpetrator is convicted.
Younger adult person is a person who turned 18 but not yet 21 years of age at the time of committing a criminal offence to whom court may pronounce educational measures consisting of special obligations, increased supervision and juvenile imprisonment. In case a perpetrator did not turn 21 years of age, the court may also pronounce educational measure of assignment to a centre for disciplinary development and correctional institution measure. To a perpetrator who turns 21 years of age during the trial, a court may pronounce imprisonment instead of juvenile imprisonment sentence, within the boundaries that apply for the duration of the juvenile imprisonment.
Convicted person is a convicted adult person against whom the following criminal penalties or other measures have been pronounced: imprisonment, fine, educational measures, judicial admonition (milder act principle) and a convicted person, but no sentence has been imposed.
Abbreviations
NN
Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
Symbols
-
no occurrence
0,0
value not zero but less than 0.05 of the unit of measure used
Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80 Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111 Press corner: press@dzs.hr
Persons responsible: Dubravka Rogić Hadžalić, Director of Demographic and Social Statistics Directorate Lidija Brković, Director General
Prepared by: Gordana Finzir, Vesna Đikanović and Mario Vlajčević
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