Sexual violence and exploitation cases on the decline in Mauritius

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) – Statistics Mauritius says that the number of reported sexual violence and sexual exploitation  in the country between 2019 and 2020 decreased by 16.1%, from 679 to 570.

Consequently, the rate per 100,000 population fell from 53.6 to 45.0. Rape showed a drop from 43 to 27 while sodomy rose from 29 to 35 for the same period.

Statistics Mauritius reported that from 2019 to 2020, the female victimisation rate for sexual violence and sexual exploitation fell from 99.1 to 81.4 to per 100,000 female population.

Among the 569 victims of these sexual offences, 91.6% were female, 65.7% were aged below 16 years, 64.3% were students, 26.2% had family relationship with their offenders and 63.3% occurred in private households.

The number of cases of theft has also decreased in 2020 compared to 2019. Theft decreased by 4.3% from 11,221 to 10,739.

Consequently, theft rate per 1,000 population decreased from 8.9 to 8.5. 

During the same period, burglary and robbery showed decreases of 0.3% from 1,411 to 1,407 and 23.9% from 1,029 to 783 respectively.

Meanwhile, drug-related offences increased in 2020 compared to 2019. In the details, the number of registered drug offences increased by 7.4% from 4,906 to 5,268, resulting in a rise in the drug offence rate per 1,000 population from 3.9 to 4.2.

In 2020, out of the 5,268 drug offences reported, 45.7% were cannabis related offences, 32.5% for heroin-related offences, 2.0% for sedatives/tranquilizers and 0.4% for buprenorphine.

Other type of drugs, comprising mainly synthetic cannabinoid, methadone and hashish represented 19.4% of drug offences.

Some 62,712 plants of cannabis were uprooted by Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) in 2020 against 46,318 in 2019.

-0- PANA NA/MA 2July2021