BS: Who's most criminal in Europe?

Subject: BS: Who's most criminal in Europe?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 11:40 AM

Some results from a large survey (EU only) which in my eyes should be read more for amusement than for information. The basis for the data are self reports which of course suffer from selective memories and from a varying subjective threshold which minor crime to report in a survey.

The overall leader in self reported criminality is Ireland. More than 22 % report having been victim of a minor crime (theft etc.) during the last year (actually 2004). The runner up is Great Britain and the low ranks go to the South European countries. Funny, I personally always felt less sure in say Italy than in Ireland. Shows only my prejudices.

Ireland also leads in minor sexual infringements like unwanted touches etc.

Now, Italy would have been my favourite for having most pocket thefts but it ranks just fourth last.

The leader in car thefts is to my surprise Great Britain.

But I got the bicycle thefts correct. I would have predicted the Netherlands leading for there are quite simply more bicycles than any place else in Europe and so it is.

But would you have thought Belgium leads in hate crimes against immigrants?

Corruption has Italy below the mean, whatever that mean(s). Greece is the winner here with most corruption.

And which country is the safest in robberies? Italy, of course.

And which country is most content with its police force? Austria.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Who's most criminal in Europe?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 11:51 AM

The way one paper put it is that in England you are more likely to be mugged, but less likely to be offered a bribe. I don't find that too comforting.

Mind you, before I'd put any trust whatsoever in these kind of surveys I'd need to know a lot more about their methodology.

Subject: RE: BS: Who's most criminal in Europe?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 12:06 PM

I am not surprised that Belgium leads the group for hate-crimes against immigrants. As a nationalist organisation, the " Vlaams Blok " makes the British " National Front" look like a bunch of boy scouts !! Belgium can be a dangerous place ! While I was working in Kortrijk, in southern Flanders, teams of meat-inspectors were going round checking farms to see if farmers were injecting cows with growth hormones, & one of the inspectors was found murdered in a ditch just outside town !! Don"t mess with Flemish Farmers !! And I agree about Dutch bicycle theft ----most of the bicycles were stolen by the Germans in WW2 !! That"s why Dutch people ,when they see a German, always say "Waar is mijn fiets ??" ( Where is my bike ?)!!!Although they love the Germans,really,& so do I !!

Subject: RE: BS: Who's most criminal in Europe?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 07 Feb 07 - 03:05 PM

Methodology

for those who want to discuss this seriously which I did not intend but would be ready to do.

All the original material, press releases etc are found EUICS homepage. New materials will be added.

Wolfgang