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Costa Rica

Costa Rica Crime Stats

Definitions

  • Assault rate: Number of assaults recorded by police per 100,000 population
  • Crime levels: Level of crime. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How serious you feel the level of crime is?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
  • Drugs > Annual cannabis use: Estimate of percentage of 15-64 year old population who use Cannabis.
  • Drugs > Opiates use: Annual prevalence.
  • Murder rate: Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries.
  • Police officers: Number of police officers per 100,000 population.
  • Rape rate: Number of rape incidents per 100,000 citizens in different countries. Figures do not take into account rape incidents that go unreported to the police.
  • Suicide rates > Suicide rate (both sexes): Suicides per 100’000 residents per year.
  • Total crimes: Note: Crime statistics are often better indicators of prevalence of law enforcement and willingness to report crime, than actual prevalence.
  • Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents: Number of privately owned small firearms per 100 residents.
  • Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate: Homicides per 100’000 residents. Homicide is the death of a person purposefully inflicted by another person (it excludes suicides) outside of a state of war. Homicide is a broader category than murder, as it also includes manslaughter. The exact legal definition varies across countries, some of which include infanticide, assisted suicide, euthanasia and deaths caused by dangerous driving.
  • Violent crime > Murder rate: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population.
  • Violent crime > Murder rate per million people: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Violent crime > Rapes: The number of recorded rapes. Large numbers of rapes go unreported. South Africa is estimated to have 500,000 rapes per year, Egypt 200,000, China 32,000 and the UK with 85,000 rapes per year.
  • Violent crime > Rapes per million people: The number of recorded rapes. Large numbers of rapes go unreported. South Africa is estimated to have 500,000 rapes per year, Egypt 200,000, China 32,000 and the UK with 85,000 rapes per year. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
STAT AMOUNT DATE RANK HISTORY
Assault rate 19.7 2011 75th out of 93
Crime levels 72.37 2014 15th out of 93
Drugs > Annual cannabis use 1% 2006 19th out of 21
Drugs > Opiates use 0.1% 2014 5th out of 9
Murder rate 11 2009
Police officers 275.3 2006 20th out of 31
Rape rate 36.7 2009 7th out of 77
Suicide rates > Suicide rate (both sexes) 6.1 2009 10th out of 16
Total crimes 40,263 2002 57th out of 82
Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents 9.9 2014 62nd out of 170
Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate 10 2011 22nd out of 44
Violent crime > Murder rate 527 2010 34th out of 86
Violent crime > Murder rate per million people 112.86 2010 27th out of 86
Violent crime > Rapes 1,685 2009 20th out of 77
Violent crime > Rapes per million people 366.19 2009 7th out of 77

SOURCES: European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control International Statistics on Crime and Justice, 2011; crime; https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2011/World_Drug_Report_2011_ebook.pdf, World Drug Report 2011, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2011, p. 217.; Wikipedia: List of countries by prevalence of opiates use ("World Drug Report 2011" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2011. "World Drug Report 2006" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2006. http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2009/WDR2009_eng_web.pdf); UN Crime Stats; Wikipedia: List of countries by suicide rate (Suicide rates per 100,000 by country, year and sex (Table) ); The Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention); Annexe I of the Small Arms Survey 2007 ; Wikipedia: List of countries by intentional homicide rate by decade; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Statistics : Crime : Sexual Violence (UNODC) and Crime Statistics : Sexual Violence Against Children and Rape, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Statistics : Crime : Sexual Violence (UNODC) and Crime Statistics : Sexual Violence Against Children and Rape, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.

Citation

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Here are a few recent crimes against tourists that still remain unresolved:
>Brendan Dobbins: Australian tourist, disappeared in Tamarindo in 2005 his remains were found 6 months later – Still no clues as to how he died
>David Gimelfarb – US tourist disappeared in Rincon de Vieja on 11 August 2009 – Still missing
>Craig Schnell – US expat disappeared on 18 February 2009 in Ostional. Body found – No clue how he died
>Michael Dixon – British tourist disappeared in Tamarindo on 18 October 2009 – Still missing
>John Scibeck – US tourist murdered in Playa Portrero on 31 December 2009 – Case remains unsolved
>Kelly Robert Nutting – US expat found 8 March in the Ocean near Golfito with hands tied and feet in concrete. Costa Rican police initially pose it as a suicide.
>Two Austrian expats – disappeared December 2009 – Still missing, a man was found with their 4×4 and using their credit card but police say there is not enough evidence.
>Roger Peter Biennvennu – US tourist disappeared in Barrio Quebradas early July 2010 – Still missing
>Kim Paris – Canadian expat disappeared in Santa Teresa 25 August 2010. Still missing
>Austin Allen Hiers, 23 year old US tourist found dead on the side of the main road in Tamarindo 21 October 2010. Body full of bruises and gash on his head. Authorities say he died of a heart attack.

Posted on 13 Dec 2010

Costa Tourist News

Costa Tourist News

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Sadly, so many crimes in Costa Rica go unreported due to the corruption.

Thank you in advance for your help.

PRESS RELEASE
6 December 2010

World Wide Outcry To Stop Gender Violence Against UK Woman Burned In Costa Rica

We are asking people from across the world, including key human rights activists, women's rights activists, public intellectuals and citizens groups to support a global petition demanding action from Costa Rican President, Laura Chinchilla.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFJ0iErN0ME

• August, 2010, 62 year old Patricia Simpson of United Kingdom was burned with cigarettes, had lighter fluid poured on her stomach and private's and set ablaze in her home in Costa Rica. She was left to lay on the floor and denied assistance and medical attention by her landlord and gardner for four days.

• August, September & October 2010, Patricia Simpson repeatedly contacted the local authorities for help and was denied. She attempted to file a formal complaint and police report against this man and was denied.

• November 26, 2010, her friend Steve Bryant took her to the Defensoria de Habitantes in the country's capital where she was allowed to file a complaint against her attackers.

• November 28, 2010, Patricia Simpson's friend, Steve Bryant of Canada reached out to the world via YouTube to ask for assistance to bring this issue to the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla.

• November 30, 2010, Costa Rica Canal 6 featured the story on the 6pm and 11 pm news to bring awareness to the crime. Once again Patricia Simpson and Steve Bryant asked for assistance in bringing justice against the men who did this. Steve Bryant of Canada raised a fundamental point of principle, which is “how can this 62 year old woman be attacked in this way and receive no police assistance and no help in aprehending the men who did this to her”.

• December 1, 2010, Steve Bryant posted the news story on his youtube channel. The story began to appear on facebook and other social media channels. Three other victims came forth to share their similar stories of being stalked and attacked by the same man.

• December 2, 2010, The website http://StalkingInCostaRica.com appeared with the aim to bring worldwide attention to the stalking against expatriate women crimes occuring in Costa Rica that are not being prosecuted. Another victim states that 3 years ago she had a similar ocurance and stalking is not recognized as a crime in Costa Rica. The man implicated is a US Citizen. Her court documents say he is utilizing the lack of law protecting women from this crime to continue to make violent attacks on expatriate women.

• December 3, 2010, Online petition to Laura Chinchilla created. Please help this cause by signing the following petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41144.html

• December 5, 2010, Victim number 5 speaks out against this man.

• December 6, 2010, Update video posted to you tube and visitor's hit over 22,500. Here is the channel that holds all of the videos: http://www.youtube.com/buscoalaurachinchill#g/f

NEWS STORIES:

1) http://www.usexpatcostarica.com/2010/12/appeal-to-president-laura-chinchilla-misdirected/

2) http://guanacastehoy.com/%C3%9Altimas-noticias/anciana-agredida-busca-proteccion-de-autoridades.html

3) http://amcostaricaarchives.com/2010/11/when-police-failed-to-act-man-takes-to-youtube-for-help/

Posted on 06 Dec 2010

Costa Rica Victim

Costa Rica Victim

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