Eighteen of Europe's 21 most-wanted fugitives are women. The crime agency Europol said the suspects, who are on the run, are accused of charges like murder, human trafficking and robbery. Europol's "Crime has no gender" campaign said: "People think these crimes are not committed by women, but they are. They are equally as serious as those committed by men." However, a crime expert said women commit serious crime "far less frequently than men".

Europol wants to raise awareness, "that women are just as likely to commit violent crimes as men". It said: "Women can be just as bad." Europol asked: "Are women equally as capable of committing serious crimes as men?" It said the female fugitives on Europe's Most Wanted website prove that they are [capable]. It added that criminals of both genders are wanted, "for grave offenses like murder…fraud, theft and trafficking in human beings".