Most of the most-wanted fugitives in Europe are women. Europe's crime agency Europol said 18 of 21 criminals who are on the run from the authorities are women. The suspects are accused of a range of charges including murder, human trafficking and robbery. Europol has a "Crime has no gender" campaign. It said: "People think that usually these crimes are not being committed by women, but they are, and they are equally as serious as those committed by men." However, a crime expert said: "Some women do commit serious crimes. They do so far less frequently than men."
Europol hopes to raise awareness, "that women are just as likely to commit violent crimes as men." It said: "Even though the discourse is often around male fugitives, women can be just as bad." The campaign website asks: "Are women equally as capable of committing serious crimes as men?" It answers that question, stating: "The female fugitives featured on Europe's Most Wanted website prove that they are [capable]. Criminals of both genders in this new campaign by EU law enforcement are all wanted for grave offenses like murder...fraud, theft and trafficking in human beings."