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Woman’s mystery death probed in Bern village

Police in the canton of Bern are investigating the suspected murder of a 38-year-old Swiss woman whose body was found on Tuesday in an apartment in a village in the Oberaargau region.

Published: 1 October 2013 19:25 CEST

Woman’s mystery death probed in Bern village

The homicide has shocked residents in Thunstetten, a village of 3,000 people. Photo: Dietrich Michael Weidmann

Cantonal police said they were alerted at 8.30am and discovered the body shortly afterward in the family neighbourhood of Thunstetten.

The woman “was the victim a homicide,” police said.

The background to the death is “unclear”, the force said, stating that a full investigation has been launched.

But police spokesman Christopher Gnägi is quoted by 20 Minuten online as calling it a case of an “intentional crime of violence”.

Officers immediately conducted an extensive search in the area around the apartment with an eye out for suspicious objects, police said.

The local institute of forensic medicine is continuing to examine the body for clues.

The investigation is being directed by the Emmental-Oberaargau regional prosecutor.

Residents of the village were unnerved by the news.

“Everyone knew her in the neighbourhood, we are profoundly shocked,” a tearful neighbour told 20 Minuten.

“She was always cheerful and waved to me from the balcony,” another resident told the newspaper.

The woman participated in local events and had a “long-time friend” whose car was often in the parking lot in front of the apartment building, the resident said.

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Why are thefts increasing in Switzerland?

As reported earlier this week by The Local, new figures from the Federal Statistics Office show that Switzerland experienced an overall fourteen percent increase in crimes committed in 2023.

Theft is one crime that demonstrated an exceptionally sharp rise—thefts of goods from cars, for example, have risen by seventy-one percent.

However, before worrying about a crime wave, it’s essential to consider the role that two closely related factors may play in these figures.

The pandemic effect

In the years since the easing of lockdown restrictions, research institutions worldwide have been examining its effects on almost every facet of society, with crime no exception.

A 2021 study by the University of Cambridge and the University of Utrecht found that urban crime levels dropped by a third during lockdowns, including in Switzerland.

Like many other European nations, Switzerland’s pandemic response continued into mid-2022, when the last measures were ended. The country’s mountainous geography also made enforcing travel restrictions easier than in many other countries.

What is reflected in the new numbers is the return of ‘crime tourists’, criminal gangs from other countries such as Romania and Albania, who may see relatively affluent Switzerland and the frequent cross-border traffic as fruitful pickings.

As criminologist Dirk Baier told news portal Swissinfo.ch: “Switzerland is attractive. That means we have criminal tourists who come here from abroad just for this purpose.

“There is something to be gained here, there is wealth here and there is a somewhat inattentive population that, for example, does not lock its cars or sometimes leaves its apartment doors open.”

Baier also suggested that the relative ease that with which thefts can be committed plays a role:

“Certain crimes were discovered (…) that are easy to carry out, such as ‘sneak-in thefts’, opening the car door somewhere and taking something out.

“You can see that individual perpetrators can really commit such crimes on a large scale.”

Cost of living woes

While some have noted that the rising cost of living was not felt as keenly in Switzerland as the pandemic ended, the situation changed somewhat in 2023.

The ‘Pulse of Switzerland‘ study, published by Deloitte Consulting in early 2024, revealed that sixty percent of Swiss had cut back their spending and were eating out less, resulting in flow-on effects across several retail and hospitality sectors.

While the spike in unemployment caused by the pandemic was primarily reversed, the persistence of global inflation resulted in Swiss unemployment rising in early 2024.

It rose to two point four percent in February, with a projected rate of two point five percent in early 2025.

Traditionally, there is a strong association between inflation, unemployment, and crime. As the demand for cheaper stolen goods increases—particularly for electronics, jewellery, and handbags—so does the incentive for theft.

Again, it’s not unexpected that crime rates—particularly theft rates —would increase as inflation continues to worry consumers.

Still a safe place to be

The ‘perfect’ storm of a global pandemic shutting down society’s normal functioning for several months and the ensuing surge in inflation caused by the disruption have resulted in crime figures that may ring alarm bells.

However, it’s important to note that by almost all metrics, Switzerland remains one of the safest places to live in the world.

It maintains a place in Europe’s top ten safest countries, as identified by the Global Peace Index.

According to the Better Life Index, it is also a place where 86 percent of the population feels safe walking at night.

With a bit of attention paid to securing your valuables and not leaving them unattended in vehicles, you have no need to worry.

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