Sunday, 9 July 2023
Serious crime rates are increasing annually in North Cyprus, adding to the burden of the High Criminal Courts, Yeniduzen reports.
In a report compiled by journalist Ayşe Güler, she writes that according to official data in the last three years, 2,615 cases were brought to the High Criminal Courts.
Forging Official Documents
Top of the offences were drugs offences and forging official documents. The offence of ‘forging official documents’ more than doubled in 2022 compared to 2020.
Between 2020 and 2022, 55 public officials were prosecuted at the High Criminal Court on the charges of ‘theft by a public official, bribery, abuse of office or position, embezzlement of money or property’.
Drug Crimes
Reported drug offences first decreased, then increased.
For example; While 322 cases were brought to the agenda of the Serious Criminal Courts in 2020 for the offence of ‘importing, buying, giving, selling, selling, saving drugs, growing plants belonging to the castor oil genus’, this number decreased to 314 in 2021, and increased to 323 again in 2022.
Evading Duty Payment
Official data also revealed the increase in the offences of ‘depriving the state of income, causing loss, possessing illegal goods, importing goods illegally, importing duty-free goods’.
In 2021, five people appeared before the High Criminal Court, this figure doubled to 10 last year.
Kidnapping
According to the annual report, 27 people were tried at the Assize Courts last year, charged with kidnapping, kidnapping from a legal guardian and detention against consent.
Premeditated Manslaughter
In 2022, seven people were tried at the Assize Courts charged with premeditated murder. While 14 people appeared in court charged with manslaughter, attempted manslaughter or conspiracy to commit manslaughter.
Reckless Endangerment
The annual report states that the offence of ‘causing death as a result of an imprudent and careless act’ has doubled in the last three years.
For example, while 15 people were prosecuted for this offence in 2020, this number increased to 20 in 2021 and 33 in 2022.
Rape, Sexual Abuse, Prostitution
The number of cases of ‘rape, sexual intercourse against the rules of nature, sexual abuse of a child, detention for sexual assault, sexual harassment of a child under the age of 16, incitement to prostitution’ brought before the High Criminal Courts also increased.
In 2022, 63 people were tried at the Assize Courts on these charges. The number of such cases was 36 in 2021 and 38 in 2020
