Half of São Paulo Population Has Been Victim of Crime, Says Study

10/23/2013 - 14h16

More than half of the population of São Paulo has been the victim of some kind of crime, according to a new study published on Tuesday by the Centre of Public Policy at the Insper Institute of Education and Research.

53% of those interviewed have been the victim of at least one crime during their lifetime. This is 2.6% higher than the last study of this kind carried out by Insper, in 2008. However, it is 8.5% lower than the figure recorded by the first survey, which took place ten years ago.

Three out of every ten people had either been mugged or pickpocketed, a statistic consistent with previous studies. 17% had been threatened with firearms and 13% said that their house had been broken into by criminals.

Most of those who had been mugged or pickpocketed chose not to report the crime to the police. Among 3000 people interviewed in April and May this year, 64% of those who had been mugged did not register the crime. Among those who had been pickpocketed, the figure rises to 80%.

According to the research, the principal reasons for this were fear of reprisals, and the belief that registering the crime would be a waste of time.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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