Bogota, May 4 (Inditop.com) The number of homicides increased by 16 percent last year in Colombia, the Latin American country where 10 people sustain injuries every hour in family violence, a report said.
The forensic report published by the Legal Medicine Institute (LMI) reveals that 17,717 murders were reported last year as compared to 15,250 in 2008.
A total of 29,433 people died in 2009 due to crimes, accidents or suicides. Among the victims 16,194 were men.
For every two women killed eight men are murdered, the LMI report shows, warning that there will be an increase of domestic violence, Prensa Latina reported.
One out of three persons who spoke of being the victim of violence knew the assailant. It was either a family member, a close friend, or an acquaintance. The total number of such cases are 94,000, the report said.
Cases of sexual abuse against women also increased in the past few years in Colombia. In 2008, there were 15,894 reported cases.
The study covers the period 2004-2008 and was based on information received from eight regional offices and 25 sectorial or basic units of the forensic institution.
As many as 73,395 women were the target of sexual abuse during the period and 40 percent of the attacks were at home.
The report revealed that 37 percent of victims was beaten by family members, step-fathers, fathers, uncles, cousins or brothers.
