European exonerations: Factors and frequencies of wrongful convictions in Europe

Wrongful convictions represent a profound failure of criminal justice systems with severe individual and societal consequences such as, undermining public trust in the justice system, allowing true perpetrators to remain free, and inflicting lasting harm on exonerees and their families. Despite growing international attention to this issue, systematic empirical data on wrongful convictions in Europe remains limited. This article presents a descriptive analysis of the 144 exoneration cases documented in the European Registry of Exonerations (EUREX) as of May 2026. The dataset includes exoneration cases from across Europe, with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain most represented. Findings show that the majority of exonerees were male, with most initial convictions relating to homicide. On average, individuals spent around 6 years and 5 months wrongfully imprisoned, collectively representing 927 lost years, while the average time from conviction to exoneration was nearly 12 years. False confessions, and false accusation or perjury emerged as the leading contributing factors, frequently occurring in combination with other factors. DNA evidence played a role in only a minority of exonerations These findings are consistent with North American findings and underscore the need for structured case review mechanisms and continued cross-national research into the causes and prevention of wrongful convictions.