1. Crime, justice and security statistics comprises statistics compiled from the Mauritius Police Force, the Judiciary, the Mauritius Prison Services & the Probation and Aftercare Service.
2. Care should be taken in interpreting these figures. When comparing figures it should be realised that police and judiciary figures are based on offences but prison and probation figures are based on offenders, and that many offenders are sentenced for more than one offence. Offences reported at the police can sometimes be reclassified as they proceed from police investigation through prosecution to final court sentence. Also trends in certain offences are affected by police activities and priorities.
Key figures
Crime, justice and security statistics, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Key figures
2010
2011
Overall offence rate (excluding contraventions) per 1,000 population
36.5
34.8
Road traffic contravention rate per 1,000 population
127.6
152.4
Juvenile delinquency rate per 1,000 population
5.2
5.8
Conviction rate1 pronounced in court per 1,000 population
82.0
76.0
Imprisonment rate per 100,000 population
186.0
203.0
Average prison occupancy level (%)
112.0
117.0
1 Number of offences that led to convictions (as opposed to the number of persons convicted) per 1,000 population
3. Police statistics indicate that general crime level, as measured by police-reported offences exclusive of contraventions, has been gradually declining from 2008 to 2011 mainly due to regular drops in reported thefts. While overall offences (excluding contraventions) decreased in number from 54, 000 to 44,800, thefts went down from 20,100 to 11,760.
4. From 2010 to 2011, the number of reported offences went down for most types of offences ranging from:
thefts (from 14,220 to 11,760),
intentional homicide committed (from 51 to 45),
drug offences (from 3,950 to 3,720) and
simple assaults (from 14,040 to 13,920),
but went up for ICT related offences and serious sexual offences, e.g. rape and sodomy.
5. Road traffic contraventions went up from 163,480 to 195,960 with contraventions due to speeding accounting for the majority of this increase.
6. In 2011, around 25,400 offences investigated by the police were not taken to court due to:
either due to insufficient evidence (53%); or
the police had not been able to identify the accused (40%); or
the accused ran away/ decease, or the cases were either civil or trivial (7%).
7. About 19,600 persons were arrested in the course of criminal investigations in 2011, down from 26,900 persons in 2010. Similarly, the number of persons referred for prosecution fell from 20,800 to 15,100 for the same period.
8. From 2010 to 2011:
the number of criminal cases lodged decreased from 110,530 to 106,600 in 2011, and
the number of criminal cases disposed decreased from 103,860 to 102,700.
9. On average an amount of Rs 500 was spent daily to maintain a detainee in 2011.
10. Out of all the convicts admitted (3,530) to prison in 2011,
84% had been imprisoned more than once in the past;
60% included fine defaulters who did not pay fines of Rs 25,000 or less, and convicts sentenced to less than one month imprisonment;
· These convicts could have been subjected to community service work according to the Community Service Order Act 2009.
11. Some 340 persons were issued with probation orders in 2011, down from 483 in 2010.
12. The number of offenders subjected to community service work rose from 350 in 2010 to 370 in 2011.
August 2012
More: Crime, Justice and Security Statistics, 2011
Introduction
Table 1.1 - Cases reported by type, Island of Mauritius, Island of Rodrigues & Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 1.2 - Offence rate per 1,000 population by type, 2010 & 2011
Table 1.3 - Summary of reported offences according to United Nations classification, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 1.4 - Quantity of drugs seized by type, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 1.5 – Reported offences by status, Republic of Mauritius, 2009 – 2011
Table 1.6 – Persons suspected, arrested and cautioned, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 1.7 – Persons referred for prosecution according to United Nations classifications of offences, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 2.1 - Criminal cases in court, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 2.2 – Convictions involving adults and juveniles by outcome of judgement, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 3.1 - Daily average number of detainees, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 3.2 - Admission of convicts by age-group, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 3.3 - Adult convicts admitted to prison by number of previous imprisonment, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 3.4 - Convicts admitted to prison by length of sentence, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 3.5 - Fine defaulters admitted to prison by amount of fine due, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 4.1 - Offenders sentenced with probation orders, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
Table 4.2 - Offenders subjected to community service work, Republic of Mauritius, 2010 & 2011
