In 2020, there was a 50% increase in cases of domestic violence where the perpetrator was a minor. The confinement and restrictions accentuated a trend that has been detectable for a few years. Teenagers have been one of groups most affected by isolation, and this has caused conflict at home.
Figures from the Balearic High Court indicate that there were 109 such cases involving minors last year, an increase of 38 from 2019. But while this indicator was up, the general level of crime was down, and not just among the under-18s.
For 14 to 15-year-olds, there were 212 cases for all forms of crime, a decrease of eleven compared with 2019. The fall was more detectable among 16 to 17-year-olds - down to 489 from 592. In overall terms, there was a 27% drop in cases that came before courts.
The figures provided by the courts for minors are for those where cases are initiated in these courts. The prosecution service for minors has typically reported higher numbers of cases. For domestic violence by minors against parents, siblings and other family members, the prosecution service normally handles around 400 cases each year. The service has yet to publish its figures for 2020.
One of the most common crimes committed by minors is robbery. The national ministry of the interior has pointed to this having been a crime that decreased the most in 2020. The reasons were confinement, limitations on mobility and lack of tourists.