Domestic and intimate partner violence surges to record high in Finland

Finland recorded 15,500 victims of domestic and intimate partner violence last year, the highest number since statistics began in 2009, according to new figures released Tuesday by Statistics Finland.

The total represents a 20 percent increase from the previous year, with adult victims rising by 25 percent. Children under 18 saw a 7 percent increase in reported cases, though boys accounted for the sharpest rise—up 13.8 percent compared to just 1.3 percent for girls.

In nearly 90 percent of cases involving boys, the perpetrator was a parent, compared to 80 percent for girls. Overall, men were suspected in 75 percent of all reported incidents, with current or former partners most frequently identified as offenders in adult cases.

Children with foreign backgrounds faced disproportionate risk, comprising 26 percent of underage victims—more than double their share of the general child population. When adjusted for population size, foreign-background children were over twice as likely to experience family violence as their Finnish-background peers, said Kimmo Haapakangas, Statistics Finland’s chief actuary.

Foreign-background victims overall rose by 26.7 percent year-on-year, now accounting for roughly one in five cases.