Sexual assaults reported to police forces in the province jumped by nearly 29% last year in Quebec, according to data from the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) which must however be interpreted with caution, note the experts consulted by The duty. Fraud and car theft meanwhile continue to increase.
Last year, 97,370 offenses against the person were listed in Quebec, an increase of 10.8% compared to 2020. The more detailed data published Friday by the MSP show a slight decrease in homicides. and attempted murders last year, while conversely assaults of all types increased by an average of 11% between 2020 and 2021.
This leads to an overall increase in the number of offenses against the person which “is mainly explained by an increase in the number of assaults, sexual assaults and other sexual offenses reported by the police forces “, notes the MSP in a five-page publication which is an overview of the crimes committed in 2021 in the province. Reported sexual assaults, which numbered 7,370 last year, jumped 28.7% compared to 2020. Other sexual offenses also increased by 19% from one year to the next.
“When I see that there are increases [des agressions sexuelles déclarées à la police]I see this more as a positive point than a negative because it means that people denounce more”, analyzes in To have to the criminologist and president of Mourani-Criminologie, Maria Mourani. These denunciations, however, represent only the tip of the iceberg, she recalls.
Data from the Ministry of Public Security also show a 43.7% increase in sexual assaults reported to the province’s police forces in 2011 and 2022. A report published in 2019 by the MSP pointed out, however, that the sexual assaults would only be reported in 6% of cases.
Thus, “there are still many studies to be carried out to really understand the reality of sexual assault” and thus be able to set up effective awareness campaigns to prevent “hemorrhage” before it occurs, believes the founder. of Quebec against sexual violence, Mélanie Lemay. “If we want violence to stop being transmitted from one generation to another, we must be able to collect credible data,” she insists.
These are only some of the sexual assaults reported to police forces that lead to charges by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. A number that shrinks even more when it comes to charges that lead to convictions of abusers, notes Ms. Mourani, who hopes that the creation of a specialized court on sexual and domestic violence will help end this effect. “funnel”.
“The victims, they are not believed, somewhere, deplores Ms. Mourani. After that, you don’t feel like denouncing. »
If we want violence to stop being passed on from one generation to the next, we have to be able to collect credible data.
Car fraud and theft
In the last decade, more specifically between 2012 and 2021, the number of property crimes reported annually has experienced a continuous downward curve. Last year, however, is an exception, when this type of crime increased by 3.4%, which “is mainly explained by an increase in the volume of fraud and auto theft reported by the police in 2021”, indicates the MSP.
The ministry thus counted no less than 33,942 cases of fraud having been reported to the police last year, up 12.8% compared to 2020. These also represent a widely used means of financing the organized crime, says Stéphane Wall, a former police officer with the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). “It pays off because as long as you don’t get caught, you’re making money like water,” he notes, adding that court-imposed penalties for crimes of this ilk are generally not dissuasive. “It lacks teeth. »
As for motor vehicle thefts, the number of which increased by 19.5% last year, “it’s hell,” says former SPVM detective sergeant André Gélinas. The latter estimates that many stolen cars and light trucks then end up in cargo ships heading to various countries where they are sold at high prices in a context where the automotive industry is facing significant “production challenges”. Caution is therefore advised for vehicle owners.