Detailed information concerning the extent of criminal acts in 1942, important for reasons of criminal policy as well as numerically compared with the previous year, is furnished in the chart [1] below.
| 1941 | 1942 | |||
| Total number of persons sentenced | Persons previously convicted among them | Total number of persons sentenced | Persons previously convicted among them | |
| Sexual crimes and offenses against morality | 13,591 | 4,544 | 10,588 | 3,074 |
| Thereunder-- | ||||
| Sodomy and bestiality | 3,963 | 1,522 | 2,790 | 936 |
| Indecent assault on persons under 14 years of age | 4,374 | 1,364 | 3,415 | 964 |
| Murder | 187 | 50 | 153 | 42 |
| Manslaughter | 151 | 37 | 118 | 25 |
| Abortion | 2,993 | 482 | 3,193 | 425 |
| Slight, dangerous, and serious bodily injury | 13,353 | 3,439 | 10,024 | 2,215 |
| Larceny, also in the case of repeated offenses | 77,556 | 21,675 | 89,656 | 21,188 |
| Aggravated larceny, also in the case of repeated offenses | 12,192 | 3,936 | 15,587 | 3,776 |
| Embezzlement | 10,987 | 4,129 | 10,179 | 2,968 |
| Robbery, also in the case of second offenders and extortion equivalent to robbery | 300 | 104 | 186 | 59 |
| Extortion | 512 | 182 | 353 | 102 |
| Receiving stolen goods, also in the case of repeated offenses | 10,956 | 2,329 | 14,778 | 2,619 |
| Simple fraud, also in the case of repeated offenses | 16,258 | 8,005 | 12,551 | 5,266 |
| Forgery of Public Documents, etc. | 8,052 | 2,075 | 9,952 | 2,069 |
| Arson | 121 | 23 | 119 | 20 |
| Major and minor crimes by breach of official duties | 2,208 | 354 | 2,471 | 311 |
| Crimes and offenses against the law concerning dealings with food, etc. (Adulteration of foods) | 3,433 | 668 | 2,801 | 557 |
| Law concerning fire arms | 1,626 | 304 | 1,317 | 206 |
| Law for the protection of German blood and German honor (race pollution) | 189 | 86 | 109 | 46 |
| Decree against people’s parasites | 3,822 | 1,941 | 6,349 | 2,602 |
| Decree concerning Crimes of Violence | 282 | 149 | 263 | 131 |
Thus, we find an increase, to a more or less considerable degree, in the following crimes: abortion (+6.7 percent), larceny and aggravated larceny (+15.6 percent and +27.8 percent resp.), and receiving of stolen goods (+34.9 percent). The three last named criminal acts, the most important of which are directed against property, constitute approximately 50 percent of all crimes and offenses against the Reich Criminal Code recorded for this year. The same offenses constituted only 43.2 percent of the total in 1941. Cases of forgery of public instruments also show an increase (+23.6 percent), partly in consequence of the forging of the numerous identity cards and papers necessitated by the government control of economy. Offenses by breach of official duties, likewise, have increased in number (+11.9 percent). The increase of cases pertaining to the decree against people’s parasites is particularly noticeable (+66.1 percent).
On the other hand, all categories of sexual crimes have decreased in number (-22.3 percent), particularly unnatural sexual offenses (-29.6 percent) and indecent assault on persons under 14 years of age (-21.9 percent). Decreases are also recorded for the various types of willful bodily injury (-24.9 percent), for the two capital crimes, murder and manslaughter (-18.2 percent and -21.9 percent resp.), among the crimes against property, embezzlement (-7.4 percent), for both robbery and extortion equivalent to robbery (-38 percent) as well as extortion (-31.1 percent) to a considerable extent, and, furthermore, for fraud (-22.8 percent). The decline in the number of convictions arising from crimes of violence (-6.7 percent) is also notable.
Sentences imposed in 1942 (1941) (this covers both fines and imprisonment) are as follows: 2,199 (1,085) death sentences, 20,104 (15,981) limited sentences of penitentiary [Zuchthaus] (including severe penal camp), 194,386 (162,768) sentences of imprisonment (including ordinary penal camp) and 162,158 (170,254) fines.
A comparison between this and last year’s criminal statistical data for individual groups cannot be drawn because of the introduction of a revised system of enumeration, previously mentioned, that went into effect 1 January 1942. Until then the Reich criminal statistics had not yet provided such an analysis of individual groups.
2. Ethnic members of the German national community and foreigners
a. Sentences
In 1942 a total number of 378,670 persons, both ethnic members of the German national community as well as foreigners were legally sentenced within the Greater Reich for crimes and offenses against Reich laws (not including sentences for crimes and offenses against Reich laws falling within the jurisdiction of the People’s Court). Of these, 341,540, or 90.2 percent were legally convicted. Penalties alone were imposed on 297,324, or 87.1 percent of those convicted, whereas both penalties and measures of security and reform were imposed on 2,332 or 0.7 percent. The number of convicted persons, punishment for whom was set aside in accordance with the juvenile court law amounts to 2,911 or 0.8 percent. However, for the vast majority of these cases measures of reform were ordered and these amounted to 10,233 according to this year’s record. Juvenile detention was ordered in the case of 37,717 defendants, which means 11 percent of all convicted ethnic members of the German community (and foreigners), and 71.9 percent of the total number of juveniles within this particular group who were subject to a penalty. In addition, prison sentences of indefinite duration were imposed on 1,256 juveniles.
For the recorded year 26,544 defendants or 7 percent of the total number, were acquitted. Besides, in 135 instances acquittal was granted along with measures of security and reform, in 475 cases such measures alone were imposed, and in 35 cases motions for measures of security and reform were rejected.