A greater proportion of girls were suspected of involvement in crime last year than ever before, according to new figures from a crime monitor.

Dutch statistics office the CBS reports that although the number of adolescents between 12 and 18 officially marked as crime suspects has dropped since 2015, the proportion of young women has risen.

In 2022, around 17,500 youths were designated official crime suspects, with a record proportion of around a quarter women. In total, 1.4% of young people were suspected of a crime last year.

Between 2010 and 2021, the number of young suspects halved, but it has started to creep up again. Although young men are far and away most likely to be suspected of a crime, the number of girls grew year on year from 20% of suspects in 2021 to 26% in 2022.

Theft – particularly from shops – was the most common type of crime, with girls making up half of the suspects for shoplifting. Burglary and armed crime were almost exclusively associated with young men.

Last year, 6,200 young people were suspected of shoplifting, 2,200 more than in 2021 and a higher level than in the last decade. This is thought to be related to shop closures during lockdown. The number of people suspected of a crime involving a weapon rose 7% to 1,200, reported CBS.

The most youth crime is reported in Amsterdam and the least in Breda and Apeldoorn.