According to a report compiled by the Criminology Institute at Malaga University, reported crime and actual crime are two different animals.
Surveys were carried out throughout the region, people being asked if they had ever suffered a vehicle theft, had belongings stolen from inside a vehicle, ever been sexually assaulted, threatened, or been the victim of a burglary.
In Málaga province, 66.2% said ‘yes’ to one of these scenarios. However, only 41% actually reported the crime. There appears to be a reluctance to report crime, be it out of fear for the consequences, embarrassment or a general lack of faith in the judicial system.
Damage to vehicles is one of the most frequent crimes, yet it is the least reported, possibly because there is no insurance money involved. Car thefts and burglaries tend to be reported more frequently as, in these cases, it is a necessity if insurance money is to be claimed.
These results put Málaga at the top of the list for actual crime, ahead of Granada, Sevilla and Huelva. Cádiz are at the bottom of the pile with a mere 38% of those surveyed stating they have been the victim of a crime.
Generally, when it comes to official crime statistics, which are based upon ‘reported’ crime, Sevilla tends to be the province at the head of the list.
Despite these figures, Andalucía has a relatively low crime rate when compared to the rest of Europe.