Crime in Vatican City

Crime in the Vatican City is mostly about small thefts like taking bags or stealing from shops. These actions are usually done by tourists to other tourists. One of the busiest places for these small crimes is St. Peter's Square, where many visitors walk around. Because so many people visit Vatican City, there are often opportunities for people to take things from others without them noticing. The city works hard to keep everyone safe, but small thefts can still happen in busy areas.

Petty crimes per capita

Vatican City is very small, which makes some statistics seem unusual. Each year, about 18 million visitors come to the city. The most common type of crime here is petty theft, like taking bags or picking pockets. These crimes usually happen to visitors and are done by other visitors.

In 1992, with a population of 455 people, there were 397 civil offences and 608 penal offences. This means the crime rate was about 0.87 crimes per person for civil offences and 1.33 for penal offences.

Policing

Main articles: Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, Swiss Guard, and Law of Vatican City

The Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City is the police and security force for Vatican City and its special areas. They keep order, control borders, manage traffic, and investigate crimes. They also protect the pope when he is outside Vatican City. There are 130 people in this group, and they work with the Security and Civil Defence Services Department.

The Pontifical Swiss Guards are responsible for protecting the pope and the Apostolic Palace.

Because of agreements with Italy, Italian police usually watch over St. Peter's Square, but not the area right in front of the basilica. If Vatican City needs help with a criminal case, Italy can help with the trial and detention, and Vatican City pays the costs. Vatican City does not have its own prisons, so people who are sentenced to prison serve their time in Italian prisons.

In 1969, Vatican City stopped using capital punishment, which had been part of its laws since 1929 but was never actually used.

In 2020, Pope Francis created a new rule requiring a head for the Office of the Promoter of Justice, which is the prosecutor's office, and set up a standard way to handle problems with lawyers.

Notable incidents

A few major events have happened in Vatican City in recent decades. On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was hurt during an attack by Mehmet Ali Ağca. This event made the Swiss Guard focus more on protection training.

In 1998, the commander of the Swiss Guard, Alos Estermann, and his wife were found dead. A young guard was involved, but the full story remains unclear.

The Vatican Bank faced serious money problems, linked to a big bank failure in Italy. This led to many questions about money handling in the Vatican.

In 2012, secret Vatican documents were shared publicly, showing concerns about possible unfair deals that cost a lot of money. A worker was found guilty and served his time in Vatican City before being forgiven by Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2020, a trial began for a priest accused of hurting a young person. In 2024, the priest was found guilty and punished for his actions.