In Brazil, most of the crime guns seized by police were once legally-owned, according to a report from the government of Rio de Janeiro state (Brazil), released on 3 October 2005.
The findings disprove claims by the Brazilian gun lobby that the illegal gun trade is responsible for most gun crime in Rio de Janeiro, which suffers higher rates of gun violence than many war-torn regions.
On 23 October, there will be a national referendum on gun sales, on 23 October. This is Brazil's first ever national referendum, and the first referendum anywhere in the world on gun regulation. Some 122 million Brazilian voters will answer the question: "Should the sale of guns and ammunition to civilians be prohibited?" The report recommends that Brazilians vote 'yes'.
A commonly-held belief in Brazil, propagated by the gun lobby, is that guns used to commit crimes were either acquired on the illegal market or diverted from state security forces. In reality, the report finds that:
- 72% of crime guns were once legally-owned
- 65% of registered guns used in crime once belonged to civilians
The report also looks at how the guns were used in crime. Guns that had once been legally-owned were used in
- 78% of armed theft
- 67% of rapes at gunpoint
- 58% of gun homicides
- 32% of kidnappings at gunpoint
Click here to visit the disarmament campaign website for the Brazilian gun referendum (in Portuguese). It contains campaign materials, messages of support, and information supporting a 'yes' vote. |
