By Michelle Sutherland Young people continue to be primary victims of murder in Belize, Belize Crime Observatory (BCO) data informs.
The BCO reports that for the first quarter of 2023 that more than half (52.6%) of murder victims are between the age of 18 and 29 years old. From January to March 2023, an average of six males lost their lives to murder every month.
For the first quarter of 2023, there were 19 homicide victims, of which 18 were males and one female. Those figures represent a decrease with eight fewer victims than the same period in 2022.
The Belize Crime Observatory says that approximately eight in 10 murders were committed with a firearm between January and March 2023. This, they say, is a decrease when compared with the same period in 2022. Regarding location, the Belize and Stann Creek Districts accounted for 73.7% of murder victims.
The Belize Crime Observatory is yet to process data for the period of April, May, June, and July to see how those figures compare to previous years; however, news consumers would know that more recently there has been a spike in gang violence, leading to the authorities declaring a state of emergency for select areas of Belize City.