Newsroom
The Ministry of Justice has challenged interpretations of a reported 27% increase in serious crime, arguing that the figure reflects the discovery of previously undetected offences rather than a rise in criminal activity.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry responded to a report by the newspaper Politis on serious crime trends, pointing to police statistics that show an overall decline in recorded cases during the first nine months of 2026.
According to the ministry, serious crime cases fell by 2.5% in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2025. The decline stood at 0.3% for the first nine months.
The ministry attributed the figures to changes in police enforcement, with officers instructed to take a more proactive approach instead of relying solely on reports submitted by members of the public.
Increased police patrols, more frequent checks, enforcement campaigns and targeted operations have helped investigators identify offences that might otherwise have remained undetected, the statement said. These efforts have also led to arrests.
The ministry argued that newly recorded cases should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of rising crime, since police statistics include both incidents reported by citizens and offences uncovered independently through investigations.
It said assessments of crime trends must take into account how cases were discovered, how many were solved and the level of police activity during the period in question. Arrest figures, it added, should also be considered in relation to the intensity of enforcement operations.
The ministry said its priority was to strengthen the fight against crime by bringing as many cases as possible before the courts and securing convictions against those found guilty.
