30, Aug 2018

New data shows that 63,880 people were killed in Brazil in 2017, a new record, and a 3% rise compared to 2016, the Guardian recently reported. The independent Brazilian Public Security Forum released data indicating that, on average, 14 people were killed by police officers daily, a figure that is 20% higher than 2016. Homicides of women rose 6.1% to 4,539, and rapes increased by 8% to 60,018. Renato Sérgio de Lima, director of the public safety forum, said that the homicides increased due to outdated laws and police procedures and rising organised crime. According to Lima, most of those killed were young, black men from poor, urban areas, the Guardian said. According to the Igarapé Institute, a think tank based in Rio de Janeiro researching security issues, only 10% of homicide cases result in arrests, and just 4% of cases see charges being filed.