Young perpetrators behind increase in muggings
The number of robberies is falling, but the number of violent muggings on the street increased sharply this year. A significant proportion of perpetrators and victims are teenagers, sometimes as young as 12, De Telegraaf reports based on figures from the police.
“In the first nine months of the year, the number of armed robberies fell by 7 percent compared to last year. The decline has been going on for a long time. But the number of muggings, on the other hand, rose sharply, namely by 11 percent. That is worrying. It is a crime with a major impact,” Jos van der Stap of the National Police told the newspaper.
Up to October this year, the police received 2,091 reports of muggings, up from 1,890 in the same period last year. There were 2,430 reported muggins in the entire 2023. The actual number of muggings is likely higher because not all victims go to the police.
Approximately 40 percent of the perpetrators this year are between the ages of 12 and 18. There are monthly standouts with perpetrators as young as 12 or 13.
“Perpetrators and victims are often very young. It is youth against youth,” Van der Stap said. “We are in discussions with municipalities about how to tackle this problem. It must be part of the youth approach by various agencies like youth work, the police, and the municipality.”
The chance of getting caught is low for muggings, compared to other types of robberies. While arrests are made in 60 to 70 percent of business, home, and meal delivery robberies, for muggings it is only 35 percent. “With a robbery in a home or shop, you have more trace evidence and camera footage that you can investigate and we are more likely to catch someone right-handed. With a mugging, you usually have to ‘back-investigate’ after a report has been filed,” Van der Stap said.
