Rape crimes committed by unemployed mark 425% increase in 2017 — SIGI

AMMAN — The annual statistical report of 2017, issued by the Criminal Information Department in Jordan, stated that the unemployed committed 2,678 crimes in 2017, including 318 crimes against morality and public ethics, compared to 2,030 crimes in 2016, an increase of around 32 per cent.

Forty-two rape crimes were committed by unemployed individuals in 2017, compared to eight in 2016, marking a 425 per cent increase, a Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) statement said.

SIGI indicated that some crimes against morality and public ethics committed by the unemployed in 2017 witnessed an increase while others saw a drop. 

Twenty nine crimes of kidnapping were committed by that segment of society last year, marking no change from 2016, while 190 crimes of “offending honour” were recorded, compared with 249 crimes in 2016, a decrease of 23.7 per cent. 

As for prostitution, 47 cases were registered last year, an increase of 104 per cent compared to 2016, when 23 crimes were registered. Nine crimes of adultery were registered (a drop of 10 per cent since 2016) and one abortion (3 abortions in 2016, a drop of 66.6 per cent).

The unemployed committed 42 crimes of rape out of the 145 rape crimes committed in the Kingdom in 2017, amounting to 29 per cent of the perpetrators, the statement added.

SIGI noted that these figures do not necessarily reflect the reality of the crimes committed, especially as some still are in the investigative stage and no peremptory rulings has been issued by the competent courts till now.

The “hidden face” of unemployment among males reveals social disturbances that increase as the unemployment percentage rises, SIGI stated, adding that girls and women often fall victim to these disturbances. The institute stressed the relevant authorities’, whether governmental or non-governmental, responsibility to protect women in this regard.

The unemployment rate reached 18.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the same period of 2017, according to a report by the Department of Statistics.

The report indicated that the unemployment rate was high among university degree holders, reaching 24.1 per cent compared to other educational levels. It added that 54.6 per cent of the unemployed hold high school diplomas or higher degrees, while 45.4 per cent have less than secondary education qualifications.

The highest unemployment rate was found in the age groups of 15-19 and 20-24 years, where the rate reached 47.7 per cent and 37.6 per cent respectively.

Providing employment opportunities for both males and females is not only beneficial to advancing development, economic revitalisation and family welfare, but it also particularly impacts the reduction of crimes committed by the unemployed, most specifically those against children, girls and women, SIGI said, stressing that they constitute flagrant violations of human rights which negatively affect their future and lives.