Rio de Janeiro: The murder rate in Rio
de Janeiro state fell 18.4 per cent in July from a year earlier, official data showed, but sexual and other violent assaults soared in that same period.
The report from the Ministry of State Security --
which comes two weeks after longer-view government figures
showed Brazil`s murder rate jumped 32 per cent over 15 years
-- said the 397 murders in the state in July 2009 fell to
324 murders in July this year.
Including the May-July quarter, homicides fell 24 per
cent from 1,358 cases a year earlier to 1,032 murders this
year.
Rio de Janeiro state, which will host the 2016 Olympic
Games as well as several matches in the 2014 football World
Cup, however, also saw a spike in other assaults.
`
Violent assaults rose 6.07 per cent to 6,050 cases in
July 2010 compared to 5,669 a year earlier, while instances of
rape and other sexual assaults soared 20.3 per cent from 334
to 402 cases.
In terms of its ranking within Latin America, Health
Ministry records put Brazil`s murder rate in sixth place, with
Colombia and Venezuela topping the table.
Bureau Report
