Thursday, August 31, 2006

We don't know how lucky we are

One could be forgiven for feeling like we live in an increasingly violent, crime-ridden country based on the events of the past few weeks. The newspapers are full of disturbing stories and murders don't even make the front page anymore. But take heart. These statistics will reassure you that we are in fact living in a relatively safe country.

South African crime statistics for last year showed:

# 18,793 murders, an average of 51 a day in a nation of 47 million

# 55,114 reported rapes

# 249,369 assaults with grievous injury

# A South African is 50 times more likely to be murdered than the average person living in Western Europe

The Minister of Safety and Security (there's a misnomer if ever I saw one) has instructed under-resourced officers to get to a crime scene by donkey or bike if they have to. Let's hope NZ never descends to this terrible state of affairs.

No comments: