An unprecedented survey carried out by the Fogo Cruzado Institute showed that in just over six years, between July 2016 and November 2022, a thousand people died or were injured as a result of stray bullets in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. Among the victims, 229 died and 771 were injured. In 2022, the year in which the mark of a thousand victims was reached, there were 20 dead and 62 injured. According to the data, the worst year in the historical series was 2018, when 252 people were victims of stray bullets (47 deaths and 205 wounded). Instituto Fogo Cruzado recalled that that year, the Metropolitan Region of Rio was under a period of Federal Intervention, which lasted 10 months. Confrontations The Director of Data and Transparency at the Fogo Cruzado Institute, Maria Isabel Couto, drew attention to the high number of victims during police actions. Of the 1,000 shot, 624 were shot in the presence of police, and 162 of them died. For the director, the actions and operations obey a logic of conflict. “The police are not prepared to avoid conflicts, and this is reflected in the high number of victims of stray bullets”, said Maria Isabel. . Of the total victims, 688 were adults (137 dead and 551 injured). Among the population over 60 years old, 119 were victims of stray bullets, of which 77 died. In the population under 18 years old, 87 children and 92 teenagers were hit by stray bullets. Of this total, 21 children and 27 teenagers died. In addition, three babies were shot while they were still in their mother’s womb and only one survived. Of the 10 pregnant women hit by stray bullets, two died and eight were left wounds Effects The study pointed out that shootings provoke different forms of effects on the population. to operate. Stray bullets, however, are the most cruel consequence”, indicated the director. In the period covered by the study, 16 people were victims of stray bullets inside teaching units: one died and 15 were injured. According to the principal, the shootings also deeply affect the school community, interfering in the future of children and adolescents. “Classes are cancelled, exams are missed and teachers and principals have to worry about their own safety and the safety of their students. Uncertainty, trauma and fear of being the next victims of gun violence are direct effects of gunshots that compromise learning. The shots leave marks, which go beyond what is on the skin and generate consequences that can last for years, ”she added. The clashes still shake the lives of informal workers, who live with the risks on a daily basis. The survey concluded that nine motorcycle couriers or motorcycle taxi drivers were victims of stray bullets, three died and six were injured; eight app drivers were shot and half died; in addition, nine street vendors were also hit, one died and eight were injured. Violence in the metropolitan region also reveals a false sense of security at home. In the analyzed period, 108 people were victims of stray bullets when they were indoors. Of those, 33 died and 75 were injured. Another 25 people were hit while enjoying themselves in bars, resulting in five deaths and 20 injuries. Within public transport, 18 people were shot; one of them died. The study cited data from a Datafolha survey released in 2022, in which 80% of residents of the capital of Rio de Janeiro reported fear of being victims of stray bullets and 59% revealed their intention to change cities, if possible. Application The Fogo Cruzado Institute uses technology to produce and disseminate open and collaborative data on armed violence, “strengthening democracy through social transformation and preservation of life”. metropolitan areas of Rio, Recife and Salvador. “Through a cell phone application, Fogo Cruzado receives and makes available information on shootings, checked in real time, which is in the only open database on armed violence in Latin America”, he said. Maria Isabel. The application is free and can be downloaded for Android and Apple systems. Response Agência Brasil contacted the government of Rio to comment on the survey. In response, the State Public Security Institute (ISP) forwarded data of crimes against life in general, from January to November 2022. The survey by Instituto Fogo Cruzado deals only with cases of stray bullets. one way, in a longer coverage period. Extended story at 4:05 pm to include ISP response
Agência Brasil
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