Related news: Mallorca crime: Cybercrime threat to the Balearics rises: Region registers highest increase

Cybercrime in the Balearics has increased by 19.5% up to the third quarter of 2024 compared to last year, with 9,721 criminal offences , a figure that places the islands as the region with the highest increase, according to data from the Balance of Crime published today by the Ministry of Interior. Crime in the Balearics - both conventional and cybercrime - has increased by 4.4% in the cumulative period from January to September, with 62,853 offences.

In terms of cybercrime, 8,609 computer frauds were recorded from January to September, 17.9% more than in 2023, while other cybercrimes increased by 33% to 1,112 criminal offences. Conventional crime has increased by 2%, with 53,132 offences. This figure was driven by the growth in kidnappings, with an increase of 33.3%, from three to four; robberies with force in homes, establishments and other facilities (+7.3) and drug trafficking (+6.7%).

Theft (+5.9%) and burglary (+4.5%) also increased, while crimes of assault and battery and affray remained almost the same (+0.3%) and murder and manslaughter remained unchanged, with four cases in both periods. On the other hand, intentional homicides and attempted murders fell by 16.1% and vehicle thefts by 2.8%. Crimes against sexual freedom decreased by 7.4%. Specifically, sexual assaults with penetration fell by 6.3% and other crimes by 7.7%.

Crime in Spain - both conventional and cybercrime - has risen by 1.2% up to the third quarter of 2024 compared to last year, a figure that shows a certain slowdown with respect to the increase of 3% recorded up to the middle of the year and 3.2% in the first quarter, although the rise in crimes of sexual assault with penetration (rape) is maintained at 6.6%.

The Crime Balance reflects a slight fall in intentional homicides and completed murders (-0.7%), with 269 cases up to September, and practically repeats the figure for attempted homicides (+0.2%). Crimes against sexual freedom - excluding those computed online - between January and September 2024 have experienced an increase of 6.1% over the same period of the previous year.

The Interior recorded 3,944 reports of sexual assault with penetration, which represents an increase of 6.6%. Compared to previous data, the rate of rape offences has decreased: they rose by 11.6% in the first quarter and by 6.9% in the second quarter of this year. The Ministry recalls that this increase “must be put, in part, in relation to the active policies of awareness and reduction of social and personal tolerance towards this type of criminal acts, which result in a greater willingness of victims to report them”.

Drug trafficking crimes, on the other hand, increased by 3.2% , and serious and less serious crimes of injury and tumultuous brawls rose by 8.4%, while crimes against property fell by 2.1%, including robbery, theft and vehicle theft - all these crimes represent 43.2% of conventional crime. The total number of criminal offences recorded in the period from January to September 2024 totals 1,854,283 events, of which 1,506,876 (81.3% of the total) correspond to the category of conventional crime, which presents a variation of 0.9% over 2023.

Aragon (+6.7%), the Canary Islands (+5.8%), Navarre (4.3%) and the Basque Country (3.5%) are the autonomous communities with the highest number of conventional crimes. Conversely, these crimes fell in Galicia (-2.6%), Melilla (-2.1%), Comunidad de Madrid (-0.7%), La Rioja (-0.7%), Extremadura (0.5%) and Andalusia (-0.4%). Catalonia recorded an increase of 1.2%.

As regards cybercrime (347,407 criminal offences, 18.7% of the total), it recorded an increase of 2.5% over 2023. The Balearics (+19.5%), Melilla (+16.2%), Asturias (+11.2%), Galicia (+10.3%) and Cantabria (+10.2%) are the regions with the highest increases. Specifically, the indicator for computer fraud (309,090 criminal offences) represents 89.0% of all cybercrime and 16.7% of all crime recorded from January to September, an increase of 0.9% over the same period in 2023.

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