Reporting a fictitious crime: when the act is constructed

In European legal systems, pretending that a crime has been committed, in the absence of an actual event, constitutes a criminal offense.

Reporting a fictitious crime does not involve a mistake or an altered perception of reality.

It involves the deliberate representation of a non-existent event, with the aim of triggering action by the authorities.

The legal interest protected is the proper functioning of the justice system and the reliability of the information on which institutional action is based.

In essence, the conduct consists of:

• falsely representing an act that constitutes a crime;
• reporting to the authorities or creating evidence capable of leading them to believe that the crime has occurred;
• knowledge that the event is untrue.

A perpetrator may or may not be identified, but what matters is the introduction of a non-existent event into the system.

The construction of the fact

Unlike false accusation of a crime before the judicial authority, which attributes a crime to a person, reporting a fictitious crime constructs the crime itself.

A perpetrator may or may not be identified, but what matters is the construction of an event.

In the case of false accusation of a crime before the judicial authority, responsibility is falsified.

In the case of reporting a fictitious crime, reality is falsified.

From incident to purpose

In isolation, reporting a fictitious crime may appear to be an attempt to justify a situation, avoid responsibility, or gain an advantage.

In a coordinated context, its function may expand.

It can be used to:

• create a fictitious basis for subsequent actions;
• direct the authorities’ efforts toward a non-existent event;
• create a narrative foundation consistent with other actions;
• reinforce or lend credibility to versions developed in parallel.

In these cases, the fictitious act is not an end in itself, but part of a broader dynamic.

The significance of institutional engagement

Reporting a fictitious crime does not end with the statement.

Its main effect is the activation of the system.

Reports, complaints, or information fabricated or presented as real can lead to the initiation of verifications, assessments, and investigative activities.

Even in the absence of immediate concrete harm, the system is engaged on the basis of a non-existent premise. This results in the diversion of resources and potential interference with other activities.

Coordination and connection with other criminal conduct

In an organized context, reporting a fictitious crime can be linked to other forms of conduct.

It may precede, accompany, or reinforce:

• false accusation of a crime before the judicial authority, when an alleged perpetrator is identified for the fabricated act;
• defamation, when the content is disseminated to third parties to strengthen its credibility;
• further actions aimed at supporting the fabricated version;
• criminal association, when the representation of a non-existent act is fabricated or supported by multiple individuals.

The combination of these behaviors can produce an effect of apparent coherence, even in the absence of any real basis.

It is not the individual element that defines the situation, but the overall context.

Reporting a fictitious crime is an offense recognized in European legal systems.

When part of a coordinated dynamic, it can serve a broader purpose: not only representing a non-existent fact, but also helping to construct an alternative reality within the system.