Women as Perpetrators of Economic Offences in France

Women committed 19,696 economic offences in France in 2003. Among them, 16,755 cases constituted fraud, and 2941 financial offences. In 2008, a considerable increase in the level of crime rate among French female perpetrators was recorded. According to the statistics, women committed 25,364 economic offences (an increase by 28.8% over the period of 6 years), from which 20,733 constituted fraud and 4631 financial offences. The aim of this chapter is to study two issues. The first objective is to identify what factors determine the increase in economic offences committed by women in France and indicate potential methods of reducing the phenomenon studied. The second objective is to determine whether the upward trend is constant or whether it is currently subject to continuation. For this purpose, the research paper shall present compilations of statistics showing the analysis of dynamics of offences committed by women and indicating particular categories of economic offences (particularly fraud and financial offences). It can be deduced that such prompt modification in female perpetrators’ behaviour results from social and economic changes that intensified in France in the several past decades.