76.54% of Crime Victims Did Not Report to the Police in 2020

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reports that a significant number of crime victims do not report to the police. This percentage reaches 76.54% of victims.

Therefore, only 23.46% of the public report to the police as victims of crime. The reporting rate to the police increased slightly by 1.27% from 2019, which was 22.19%. Despite this increase, BPS states that this condition indicates that the reporting rate to the police remains relatively low, as it is less than 25%.

The reporting rate to the police is used to assess the access to justice sought and undertaken by victims to the authorities. If the authorities do not receive reports of crime victims, then investigations and judicial proceedings cannot be carried out.

This indicator is also used to determine the public's level of trust in law enforcement agencies. The hope is that law enforcement agencies can help resolve the legal problems being experienced.

The low reporting rate also indicates a lack of public trust in the police. A stigma remains in society that crime victims are not helped when reporting crimes.

However, the right to legal assistance is universally accepted and guaranteed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Articles 16 and 26 of the ICCPR guarantee that everyone has the right to legal protection and must be protected from all forms of discrimination.