QCOSTARICA- On average, last month saw two murders a day, says the report from the Plans and Operations office of the Judicial Police – Oficina de Planes y Operaciones (OPO) of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ).
According to the report, in August there were 60 homicides. In March there were 51.
In total, between January and August of this year there were 360 murders, of which 153 can be attributed to “vendettas” between rival gang members. In addition, there were another 90 deaths with causes yet undetermined, but authorities believe that a large majority of them could be related to drug disputes.
This month, the trend is continuing, the OIJ reporting 18 murders in the first 10 days of the month.
In fact, on September 10, two men were murdered in less than a half hour of each other, one in San Rafael Abajo de Desamparados, the other in Veinticinco de Julio in Hatillo.
The report only takes into account deaths that occur at the site of the crime. Michael Soto, head of the OPO, said the figure could be even higher if counting people who die later in hospital, or upon investigation, it is determined the death was due to a crime.
The OPO says August was the most violent month of the year. According to the report, in August a total of 110 people died violently when including victims of traffic, aquatic and other accidents.
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