Comparative overview of statistical analysis of dismissal of crime reports in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The article comparative analyzes the statistical findings of the crime reports dismissed by the State Attorney in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period from 2008 to 2012. Introductory, short comparative overview of the legal basis for making the decision on dismissal of police crime report under the law on criminal proceedings of both countries is given. Greater attention is dedicated to the non-legal reasons (internal and external) that affect on the: a) submitting of crime report to the State Attorney, and b) making the decision on dismissal of crime report; which are on the side of a police officer and state attorney in the criminal prosecution system. Following to this, statistical data on dismissal of crime reports in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are analyzed in order to determine the basic structure of the dismissal of crime reports in relation to the total number of people reported for the offense. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the conducted statistical analysis of the dismissal of crime reports in both countries. The article also points to the need for further research of legal grounds for dismissal of crime reports, especially on legal grounds of: a) the absence of a criminal offense and b) the absence of a reasonable suspicion or evidence of the committed criminal offense.