Bahia leads violent deaths and accounts for only 14% of homicides
Bahia leads the national ranking of intentional violent deaths and, at the same time, has one of the lowest homicide clearance rates in the country, according to the Diagnóstico sobre a Investigação de Homicides no Brasil study, from the Sou da Paz Institute.
In 2023, the state recorded 6,578 victims of intentional violent deaths (MVI) - the highest absolute number in Brazil - and a rate of 46.5 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants, the second highest in the country, behind only Amapá (69.9).
On average between 2020 and 2023, only 14% of intentional homicides registered in Bahia resulted in a complaint filed by the Public Ministry, a percentage higher only than in Rio Grande do Norte, which registered 9%, according to the survey.
According to the study, Bahia has factors associated with lower clarification rates. The state records a high proportion of homicides committed with firearms, intense activity by criminal organizations and high police lethality.
According to the survey, 83% of homicides in Bahia are committed with firearms, one of the highest percentages in the country. In 2023, 25.8% of intentional violent deaths recorded in the state resulted from police interventions, a rate more than double the national average of 13.8%.
The researchers note that states with higher rates of deaths due to police intervention are also among those with lower homicide clearance rates, indicating an association between more confrontation-oriented policing models and lower investigative capacity.
Hostile environment for investigation
According to the survey, homicides committed with firearms, in public spaces and often related to disputes between criminal organizations tend to produce less material evidence and fewer witnesses, making investigations more complex.
Furthermore, even when these crimes are solved, they often require more time and resources than homicides committed by other means.
"Homicides committed with firearms generally occur in public spaces, are carried out quickly and produce less evidence and witnesses, significantly increasing the complexity of the investigation", says Carolina Ricardo, executive director of Instituto Sou da Paz.
Despite the scenario, the study highlights that high rates of violence do not necessarily prevent good results in investigations. States like Rondônia managed to significantly increase their clarification rates by investing in measures such as investigative continuity, strengthening expertise, preserving the crime scene and management based on indicators. For researchers, experiences of this type show that reducing impunity depends not only on the context of violence, but also on the way in which investigations are organized and prioritized.
Source: CNN