MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Three out of ten Argentine urban households, victims of crimes in 2009

The percentage has been growing steadily since the polls was first taken

Three out of ten Argentine households have been a victim of crime in 2009, according to the latest poll from the Argentine Catholic University, UCA, published Sunday in the Buenos Aires daily Clarin.

The UCA poll which has been done annually since 2004, includes 2.130 interviews in households belonging to urban centres with over 200.000 inhabitants, and shows a steady sustained increase in the last three years.

“We are seeing a quick ascent of crime since 2006 which affects mostly the high income households, but is also extending to lower income brackets, precisely that social group which with inflation, the repercussions of the international crisis and poorer working conditions has fallen into job informality” says Agustin Savia, responsible for the comments on the field work.

The poll shows that 27.3% of households interviewed had suffered acts of violence, robbery or assault during 2009, which compares unfavourably with the 20.2% of 2006.

The report also points out the psychological and social effects which the sustained growth of crime creates, as well as the social isolation generated because people become increasingly fearful and take precautions to impede experiencing an act of violence at their homes.

In effect 70% of those who did not suffer or were not victims of delinquent or violent acts dread that they could be next, while the figure soars to 90% in those households that were victims of some form of crime at some point.

“Fear generates mistrust towards others, but also towards the institutions”, underlines Savia who revealed that 26% of those who were exposed and suffered some kind of violent act believe in the judicial system, while 37% simply replied they did not trust the work displayed by magistrates.