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“Real Sexual Harassment”: Attrition Among Police-Reported Sexual Molestation Crimes in Sweden

Wegerstad, Linnea LU and Andersson, Ulrika LU (2025) In Violence Against Women
Abstract (Swedish)
This article presents findings from a quantitative analysis of 215 case files regarding incidents of the crime of sexual molestation reported to the Swedish Police. We track the incidents through the criminal justice system and show a clearance rate of 9%. The clearance rate is higher when the attack is of a physical nature, the suspect is a stranger, and the incident occurs in a public place. While the statutory definition of sexual molestation is inclusive, this study shows that substantially there is a typical case of sexual harassment that is criminalized; a kind of “real sexual harassment” emerges.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Förundersökningar, Sexuellt våld, Kriminalisering, Attrition, Sexuellt ofredande, Straffrätt, Preliminary investigations, Sexual violence, Criminalization, Attrition, Sexual harassment, Criminal law
in
Violence Against Women
article number
Online First
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:40900087
ISSN
1552-8448
DOI
10.1177/10778012251372551
project
#Metoo-skalvet och dess efterdyningar: Om brottsoffers sökande efter rättvisa och den samhälleliga och rättsliga responsen
The #metoo momentum and its aftermath:digital justice seeking and societal and legal responses
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
25e258df-98ab-436c-8d42-9767e5215c4e
date added to LUP
2025-09-08 08:55:58
date last changed
2025-09-09 03:00:01
@article{25e258df-98ab-436c-8d42-9767e5215c4e,
  abstract     = {{This article presents findings from a quantitative analysis of 215 case files regarding incidents of the crime of sexual molestation reported to the Swedish Police. We track the incidents through the criminal justice system and show a clearance rate of 9%. The clearance rate is higher when the attack is of a physical nature, the suspect is a stranger, and the incident occurs in a public place. While the statutory definition of sexual molestation is inclusive, this study shows that substantially there is a typical case of sexual harassment that is criminalized; a kind of “real sexual harassment” emerges.}},
  author       = {{Wegerstad, Linnea and Andersson, Ulrika}},
  issn         = {{1552-8448}},
  keywords     = {{Förundersökningar; Sexuellt våld; Kriminalisering; Attrition; Sexuellt ofredande; Straffrätt; Preliminary investigations; Sexual violence; Criminalization; Attrition; Sexual harassment; Criminal law}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Violence Against Women}},
  title        = {{“Real Sexual Harassment”: Attrition Among Police-Reported Sexual Molestation Crimes in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10778012251372551}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/10778012251372551}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}