Sexual assault by penetration cases up 19% in Catalonia in 2019

The number of cases of sexual assault by penetration reported to police went up by 19% in Catalonia in 2019, with 557 incidents compared to 468 the year before.

At the same time, the other reported cases of sexual assault went up 16%, while reported robberies with violence and intimidation rose by 17.5%.

Meanwhile, the figures published by Spain's interior ministry show that reported cases of homicide also went up in the country, from 45 to 60.

However, cases of burglary in homes and businesses fell slightly by 1.4% last year, while the number of thefts reported stayed about the same.

With drug trafficking up 6.2%, motor vehicle theft up 5.7%, and attempted murder up 11.9%, overall, criminal activity in Catalonia in 2019 went up by 3.7%.

Violent robberies up in Barcelona

As for Barcelona, the number of robberies with violence reported went up 20%, from 12,283 to 14,750, while the number of cases of theft fell slightly by 0.8% (109,173 to 108,308).

Reported cases of burglary in homes also fell in the city by 9.6%, although the number of murders went up 70%, from 10 to 17, while attempted murders went up from 44 to 51.

The number of cases of sexual assault by penetration in the city went up 16.2% (136 to 158), while drug trafficking cases rose by 5.4%, with a 3.1% global rise in criminal offenses.