An astonishing 96 percent of all crimes reported in Jalisco during 2019 saw no convictions, a study carried out by México Evalúa has revealed.
And while that figure might seem incredible, Jalisco ranks only 10th among states with the highest impunity rates in the country. (Sinaloa and Guerrero head the table.)
The study pointed to deficiencies in the application of the new criminal justice system as a significant reason for the alarming stat. Around one-third of all persons detained on suspicion of criminal activity manage to obtain their freedom because their arrests are deemed illegal under the new system, it reported.
The results of the study will serve to support other investigations showing Mexicans’ reluctance to report crimes because they do not trust public security authorities, or because they believe filing a denuncia to be a waste of time.
Another problem in Jalisco, the study noted, is a shortage of personnel to attend to the administration of justice, with prosecutors, judges, legal advisers and public defenders all in short supply.