Police figures reveal an increase in juvenile offending in Cyprus, with a significant number of minors involved in cases investigated last year.
In 2024, 761 individuals under the age of 18 were implicated in 497 cases, of which 299 were serious offences punishable primarily by imprisonment. This data underscores a growing issue of youth delinquency across various forms.
The problem of juvenile delinquency is widely considered a social issue. Despite a rise in incidents in recent years, there is a perceived emphasis on law enforcement rather than preventative measures. Public concern has been raised following incidents such as approximately 200 youths causing disturbances in Limassol.
Recent incidents highlighting the nature of juvenile involvement include the revelation that two minors used artificial intelligence (AI) to create pornographic images by digitally altering the faces of other minors onto indecent content. Additionally, weekly occurrences of violence involving youths at football stadiums, disputes over Easter bonfire traditions escalating into public brawls with wooden bats and clubs, attacks on delivery drivers, and arrests for drug offences have been reported. An increasing number of online-related cases involving minors are also being investigated.
According to data from the Police Statistics and Mapping Department, nearly 500 cases involving children were investigated in 2024. The majority occurred in the Nicosia district and concerned property offences, ranging from theft and burglary to malicious damage to vehicles, homes, or other premises. Alarmingly, children under the age of 14 were involved in 46 of these cases last year. For all cases, diversion procedures are typically activated for out-of-court settlements, except for very serious offences which proceed to court.
Specifically, in 2024, 438 boys and 21 girls were involved in 299 serious cases, while another 287 boys and 15 girls were investigated for 198 minor offences. Of the 761 minors involved in criminal cases, 46 were under 14 years old, 217 were between 14 and 15, and 498 were between 16 and 17.
In 2023, 404 cases involving 598 minors were investigated. Of these, 240 were serious offences involving 314 boys and 34 girls, and 164 were minor offences involving 232 boys and 18 girls. The total number of boys involved was 546 and girls 52. Among the 598 minors, 34 were up to 14 years old, 208 were between 14 and 15, and 356 were between 16 and 17.
Property-related offences were the primary serious crime involving minors in 2024, with 129 cases and 236 young people implicated. Drug-related offences followed with 52 cases and 55 minors involved. Technology-related offences, including online blackmail, bullying, and sexual content crimes, saw 28 cases investigated with 35 minors involved. Attempts and conspiracies to commit crimes accounted for eight cases involving 20 minors.
Regarding minor offences, property-related offences again topped the list with 84 cases involving 121 minors. Offences against individuals followed with 45 cases and 73 young people involved, and offences against public order accounted for 22 cases involving 44 individuals. Similar trends were observed in 2023 and 2022, with only slight variations in numbers.
Nicosia recorded the highest number of serious offences involving minors in 2024 with 78 cases and 114 minors implicated, followed by Famagusta (63 cases, 131 minors) and Paphos (57 cases, 83 minors). For minor offences, Famagusta had the highest number of cases (38, 76 minors), followed by Larnaca (45 cases, 66 minors) and Limassol (38 cases, 58 minors). The high number in Famagusta is partly attributed to the concentration of tourism during the summer months in the free Famagusta area.
In 2023, Nicosia also had the highest number of serious cases (74, 113 minors), followed by Limassol (54 cases, 78 minors) and Larnaca (42 cases, 49 minors). In 2022, Limassol recorded the most serious cases (65, 100 minors), followed by Nicosia (48 cases, 67 minors) and Larnaca (23 cases, 27 minors). Police note that one individual may be involved in more than one case.
For minor offences in 2024, Nicosia had the highest number of cases (54, 64 minors), while Famagusta had the highest number of individuals involved (38 cases, 76 minors). The figures for 2023 and 2022 show similar trends across the districts.
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