3rd March, 2016
Roman Catholic bishops in Costa Rica have expressed their "deep sorrow" over figures showing a growing level of violence in the country, driven in part by the drug trade.
In a report sent to Fides, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Costa Rica say there were 560 murders in the country in 2015 – the highest number in recent years – and that while the figure may be lower than that in neighbouring countries, it remains a figure of concern with "a quarter of these crimes…connected with episodes of drug trafficking".
The bishops add that figures showing acts of violence against children have doubled in less than a decade are "profoundly shocking", noting that in 2015 the National Children’s Hospital recorded 3,100 child victims of violence compared with 2,400 the previous year.
They write elsewhere in the report sent to Fides that "every form of injustice is an act of violence" and describe that fact that almost 320,000 face hunger, a lack of decent accommodation and medical care as "acts of violence".
– DAVID ADAMS (with Agenzia Fides)
