Comparability

Comparability - geographical

UN collects annual data from the member states on victims of homicide and publishes statistics based on this. However, the definition of homicide can differs between countries and comparisons based upon absolute figures can therefore be misleading.

Comparability over time

The statistics has been prepared on the same date source since it's start in 2001 and is therefore in general comparable during time. However, the number of victims of homicide is underestimated for the years 2001-2009 due to errors in the extract from POLSAS to Statistics Denmark.

Section 265 regarding restraining order in the Penal Code is replaced by the law on expulsion, restraining order and ban on stay in 2012.

The provisions of the Danish Criminal Code regarding sexual offences went through essential amendments taking effect from 1 July 2013. The amendments resulted in e.g. more categories of sexual offences than previously being placed under the provisions about rape (section 216). See more in the attached note: Rape.

From 2014 onwards Trick theft, on the streets, are defined as separate crime. Furthermore, Human Trafficking is included in the statistics from 2014 onwards.

A new concept of consent regarding rape is taking effect from 1st of January 2021 which has resulted in new ways for the police to register offences regarding rape. This has to be taken into account when comparing data over time.

From 2022, an extended method will be used to search for errors in data on victims of homicide. All figures in Statbank have been revised back in time. Figures from before the revision can be found in the Statbank table straf5x.

In 2024, the police crime code 75608 Theft of bag/luggage ceased. In the future, theft of bags and luggage will be registered under various other theft crime codes, e.g. 75511 Theft from car, 75609 Theft on train/ship/plane/bus, etc. Since the victim statistics only include types of violations that are considered dangerous to the person, where the victim and offender are in direct confrontation, bag theft has been part of these statistics. Since the types of theft that replace theft from bag/luggage have not previously been part of the victim statistics and will not be, there will be a large drop in data from 2024 onwards.

Coherence - cross domain

The Ministry of Justice and others regularly conduct victimization surveys. The latest victimization survey can be found in: Offerundersøgelserne 2005-2023 (in Danish only).

Coherence - internal

Data are internally consistent.