57 per cent increase in narcotic related crimes during the same period

There was a 4% increase in rape of females above 16 years, in 2020, compared to 2019, the Performance Report of the Sri Lanka Police for the year 2020 reveals. About 289 such crimes were reported in 2029, and in 2020 the number of reported incidents increased to 300. Police say they brought to justice the perpetrators in 94% of the cases.

About 1292 cases of statutory rape of women under 16 were reported in 2020. This is an increase of 9% compared to the situation in 2019, when 1,185 such crimes were reported. The percentage of solving these crimes was 97% in 2020.

Some 305 incidents of rape of girls below 16 years have been reported in 2019 and in 2020; the number has increased to 361, a hike of 18%. The percentage of solving these crimes in 2020 is 92%. The total number of crimes under the above three categories in 2020 has increased compared to those in 2019.

The report had divided incidents of rape into three categories. The rape of females over 16, the statutory rape of females under 16 with the consent of the victim, and the rape females under 16 years without their consent.

Offences related to ‘abduction’ have declined in 2020 compared to those in 2018 and 2019, the Performance Report says.

Compared to 2019, incidents of abductions dropped from 663 to 633, by 4%. The percentage of solving them too went up from 85% in 2019 to 89% in 2020, the report said.

In 2020, 166 crimes related to kidnapping were reported and this is a 21% decline compared with the 212 kidnappings reported in 2019. The percentage of solving such crimes in 2020 was 90%.

In 2020, the number burglaries went down by 20%. Some 6,499 cases were reported compared to the 8,143 incidents reported in 2019. The percentage of solving such crimes in 2020 was 58%, an increase from 55% in 2019, the report said.

There was also a 3% drop in homicides in 2020 as well, compared to 2019. About 479 homicides were reported in 2019 and in 2020, the number dropped by 3%, to 464. The report says 94% of such cases were solved.

Robberies too declined in 2020, it says. Some 2,944 robberies were reported in 2019 and in 2020, and the number dropped by 27% to 2148. The percentage of robberies solved in 2020 was 67%.

There were 677 incidents grave sexual abuse in 2020. There were 710 such cases reported in 2019.

The report adds that a considerable number of crimes categorised under criminal breach of trust and criminal misuse of amounts exceeding Rs. 300,000, have been reported. However, compared to 2019, there has been a substantial decline of 45%. There were 5,251 incidents reported in 2019. Police solved 52% of such cases in 2020.

The performance report reveals that 4,905 cases of theft of property worth more than Rs. 25000 were committed in 2019. This dropped by 17% to 4,073 in 2020. Police solved 68% of such cases in 2020.

However, there has been a considerable increase in crimes related to narcotics in 2020 in comparison to 2019. The Report says that 4,340 such crimes were reported in 2019, and the number increased dramatically to 6,811 in 2020, a jump of 57%. The police solved 99% of these cases in 2019 and 2020.