Report on the Security Situation in the Czech Republic in 1999
(in comparison with 1998)

Contents

2.7. Crimes of Violence

The development in the number of ascertained crimes of violence committed in the CR from 1993 to 1999 and development changes by years.
  1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Ascertained crimes of violence 19,820 20,170 21,712 22,825 23,223 23,464 23,228
Percentage change 6.73 1.80 7.61 5.13 1.74 1.04 -1.01

The number of ascertained crimes of violence decreased or remained the same. The number of crimes cleared up slightly decreased; the detection rate is constant reaching 80.2 %.

The number of ascertained crimes of violence in the regions of the Czech Republic in 1999 and development changes by years.
  Prague CBR SBR NBR WBR EBR SMR NMR CR
Ascertained crimes of violence 3,923 2,468 1,428 1,883 3,059 1,833 3,140 5,464 23,228
Percentage changes compared to 1998 5.87 2.75 -1.92 -1.15 -4.08 -13.21 3.90 -3.19 -1.01

The number of ascertained crimes of violence remains influenced by repeated factors. The most difficult of which are elements of good organisation of such crimes, alcohol, drugs and relapse. Those who committed violent crimes often use short firearms and stabbing weapons. The shift to more professional crimes of robbery with violence, with links to the economic crime and the growth of Russian speaking offenders, are typical features of this type of crime.42)

The number of ascertained murders decreased, the detection rate reached 89.1 %. In spite of such a decrease, the number of murders is alarming.

The number of ascertained murders in the regions of the Czech Republic in 1999 and development changes by years.
  Prague CBR SBR NBR WBR EBR SMR NMR CR
Ascertained murders 64 34 13 19 34 30 33 38 365
Percentage changes in comparison with 1998 3.23 -24.44 62.50 -29.63 -17.07 -16.67 -21.43 -26.92 -15.34

Additionally, 9 murders were cleared up. Some of them had roots in economic crime. Murders, especially arising from personal disputes (124) and robbery with murder (36) dominated. The police also recorded 5 murders “to order”. 22 murders were committed under the influence of alcohol. Repeated offenders committed 66 murders and foreigners committed 57 murders. Professional preparation, a robbery motive, and brutality are typical features of current murders. A further problem is the rising number of murders in which conflict between criminal organisations is involved. Detection is very complex - consideration of a murderer can be from a blood feud to “taking over” a certain territory. (93 murders were committed with stabbing weapons - knives and in 87 murders the offenders used firearms43)). There were no essential changes in the structure of offenders of the crimes of violence. Of the 270 persons prosecuted, 35 of them were women. The number of murders committed by juveniles decreased. The murderers are usually between 40 and 60 years of age. 4 murders of newborn infants by their mothers were investigated in the course of the year monitored (in 1998 there was 1 murder of this type).

The Czech police recorded 203 (in 1998 205) unidentified corpses, gradually identifing 78 % of them. There are increasing proportions of fugitives and homeless people often without identity cards.

The number of robberies (4,817 crimes) increased (+11.9 %, +511 crimes), while the detection rate decreased to 39.4 % (-3.8 %). The objects attracting the interest of offenders did not change, with attempts to gain money, jewellery, and goods in transit dominating. Another robbery motive is the collection of debts together with extortion (blackmailing). The offenders are more brutal; the number of armed robberies or threats with arms is getting higher. The number of muggings has increased. The same applies to bank robberies, hold ups of petrol stations, robberies in bank branches and armed robberies of money transports. The number of post office robberies decreased (from 88 to 67 cases) and the same applies to postmen robberies (from 24 to 17 cases)44). The robbed objects are usually determined in advance. The number of robberies committed by foreigners has increased. The robberies carried out near railway and bus stations are more frequent.

The Czech police recorded 3,844 (+189) armed crimes, which means a slightly increasing trend since 1995, when the police recorded 3,072 crimes (in 1994 there was a record of 3,980 crimes). The police recorded 1,501 (+294) crimes committed with a short firearm.

The proportion of committed armed crimes of the total crime in the CR and the development changes by years.
  Year
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Percentage proportion 1.07 0.82 0.85 0.86 0.86 0.90
Percentage change in comparison with the previous year - -0.25 0.03 0.02 -0.01 0.04

340 persons were lawfully sentenced for unauthorised arming (Sec. 185 of the Criminal Code).

The most frequent violent crime, with 7,390 offences (i.e.-7 %), remains intentional bodily injury, accounting for 31.8 % of violent crimes. The number of dangerous threats (2,730 crimes, +19 crimes) and extortion (2,554 crimes, +35 crimes) decreased.

There were 1,516 (-63) fires45) where 22 persons died. The total calculated loss amounted to CZK 1,763,500 thousand. In 608 cases fires were set deliberately. According to collected information the motives are above all insurance frauds; offenders focused mainly on business buildings. Some information shows that some fires were related to other kinds of crimes (extortion, tax curtailment etc.).

In 1999, there were - according to the data from the Czech Fire Rescue Brigade Headquarters - 20,857 fires (-13.2 %, -3,184 ) in the Czech Republic in which 105 persons died (+9.4 %, +9) and 934 persons were injured (-16.8 %, -189). The loss amounted to CZK 2,088 million (+9.8 %, +CZK 185,4 million). The fire brigade units intervened in 79,715 events (+2 %, +1,850). They rescued or evacuated 9,264 persons (-50.8 %, -5,546).

The Czech police, as one of the main parts of the integrated rescue system, co-operated in 36,441 cases with fire brigades and directly assisted in rescue work. The most frequent events of co-operation were fires, car accidents, leakage of substances, oil breakdowns and events requiring technical assistance.

The Czech police recorded 105 (+19) explosions in which 5 people died and 14 were seriously injured. 47 explosions were cleared up (44.8 %). Increasing attacks using booby traps on property (vehicles, offices, flats, family houses, etc.) as a form of threat, mainly related to extortion or unlawful activities by the persons concerned, remain a risk factor. Explosions in the hospital and health service centre in Prague 9, on the railway in Vraňany and an explosion near Cítov are considered to be the most dangerous ones.

2,616 persons (+488) were sentenced for crimes against life and health (Sec. 221, 222, and 225 of the Criminal Code). 182 (-6) persons were sentenced for murders (Sec. 219) and 1,491 (-128) persons were sentenced for robbery (Sec. 234).

The State Prosecutor's Office makes every effort in order to use the maximum scope of punishment given by the relevant Act and to differentiate in terms of the length of the punishment among the offenders of the crimes of violence. The provisions of Sec. 29 of the Criminal Code should be taken into consideration in extremely brutal crimes or crimes committed in a particularly contemptible manner. This provision allows the imposistion an extraordinary punishment, which may be imposed only for a crime for which such punishment is permitted in the Special Part of the Criminal Code.

2. Crime, Development in Individual Kinds of Crime and Security Risks

2.1. Crime by Regions. Regional Variations
2.2. Misdemeanours
2.3. Offenders
2.3.1. The Crimes of Repeat Offenders
2.3.2. Crimes Committed by Foreigners
2.3.3. Crimes Committed on Youth and by Youth
2.3.4. Crimes Committed by Members of the Czech police, Czech Army, Employees of the Customs Administration and Members and Civilian Staff of the Czech Prison Service
2.4. Victims of Crimes
2.4.1. Information on Victims of Crimes
2.4.2. Information Gathered from the Research of Security Feeling and Attitude of People to Security Risks
2.5. Crimes against property
2.6. Economic Crime, Corruption
2.7. Crimes of Violence
2.8. Crimes against Human Dignity (Moral Crimes)
2.9. Breach of Public Order and Hooliganism, Street Crime
2.10. Crimes Committed on Railways
2.11. Crimes Having Extremist Nature
2.12. Protection of Official Secrets
2.13. Illegal Migration
2.14. Organised Crime
2.15. Terrorism
2.16. Illegal trade in Arms and Explosives
2.17. People Trafficking
2.18. Forgery
2.19. Drugs
2.20. Road Safety
2.21. Searches for Persons and Articles
2.22. Communist Crime Investigation

Contents


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