Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

CRIME

Teenager injures seven in axe attack in Flums

Updated: A teenager armed with an axe injured seven people in a rampage in Switzerland on Sunday evening before being shot and arrested, police said, describing the incident as unrelated to terrorism.

Published: 23 October 2017 08:49 CEST
Updated: 23 October 2017 10:40 CEST
Teenager injures seven in axe attack in Flums
File photo: Bas Leenders
Seven people were injured — five women and two men, one of whom is in a serious condition, said Swiss media on Monday. A baby was also hurt falling from a pram.
 
Police in the canton of St Gallen said the 17-year-old Latvian national carried out the attack on Postplatz near the post office in the northeast town of Flums.
   
Several people were wounded in the initial attack before the assailant “fled with a stolen car and had an accident”, police said in a statement.
   
The attacker later injured several people inside a petrol station shop, where he was shot by police and apprehended.
 
   
“At this stage, there is no evidence of a link to terrorism”, added spokesman Krusi Hanspeter, noting that police were continuing to gather information about the assailant.
   
Police said the severity of the injuries suffered by the victims was not immediately clear.
   
According to Blick, police later raided a house in the area as part of the investigation.
For members

CRIME

Why are thefts increasing in Switzerland?

Newly published figures show that the number of thefts in Switzerland has substantially increased in 2023. What’s driving this surge?

Published: 27 March 2024 15:54 CET
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.

SHOW COMMENTS