The crime fell 1.3% – but it grew 130% on the covers of the newspapers

Untying between real crime and public perception worries experts. Intensive media coverage, political exploitation of cases and social networks contribute to the problem.

A Crime participated in Portugal decreased slightly (1.3%) Between 2020 and 2024, but the covers of the country’s main newspapers do not reflect it – on the contrary.

The newspaper covers with highlight for crimes increased 130% During this period of 4 years, according to a study by the headquarters and defense of the headquarters mentioned this Monday, and which warns of a misalignment between the criminal reality and the perception of insecurity of the population.

A intensive media coverage and the political exploitation of certain cases contribute to aggravate the False feeling of insecurityhighlights the report, which also points the finger at social mediawhich often serves as a misinformation amplifier.

The headquarters still draws attention to non -criminalized deviant behaviors Which, although they do not constitute a crime, negatively influence security perception.

In addition, the study criticizes the inconsistency and lack of data comparability in the Annual Internal Security Reports (RASI), which makes it difficult to analyze the evolution of crime.

Between AS proposed solutions Regular victimization surveys, statistical normalization in Rasi, clearer and more effective institutional communication, and greater articulation between security forces and judicial system are regularly realized.

It is recalled that the controversial departure of a chapter on the presence of the far right in Portugal, eliminated from the presentation of the last annual rasi, was an agreement by the security forces that make up the Coordinating Office of Security, and two ministers-those of internal administration and justice, Margarida Blasco and Rita Judice.

The National Director of the Judicial Police (PJ), Luís Neves, has been reinforcing that the feeling of insecurity is generated by increasing misinformation and “hybrid threats”, and that violent crime numbers denies this idea and that there is no connection to increased immigration.