In a previous legislative session, the Liberal Initiative (IL) proposed that the RASI include data on the nationality, type of residence permit, and gender of criminals and victims, arguing that such data would help combat misinformation.
Now, in a new resolution presented today to the Assembly of the Republic, IL reiterates these measures and adds a new element to be included in the RASI: the country of origin of both criminals and victims.
The resolution states that it is “imperative that the RASI’s compilation is based on the largest possible number of data points, collected systematically and comprehensively,” allowing for a deep understanding of criminal phenomena and their dynamics.
However, according to the party, the current information in both the RASI and the Online Portal of Justice Statistics is “insufficient,” with “data lacking granularity, hindering more detailed and specific analyses that would allow an in-depth understanding of criminal dynamics.”
Regarding the RASI, IL believes that while the report provides a geographical analysis of certain crime types, it lacks detailed sociodemographic profiles of those involved.
“For this reason, IL believes that the data collected, made available, and published through the Online Portal of Justice Statistics, and subsequently compiled by the RASI, should be strengthened, considering a data policy based on transparency and access to information,” the resolution states.
The party argues that crime statistics should include “clear and complete information regarding gender, age, nationality, and type of residence or stay permit of the criminals and victims.”
For IL, this would be crucial not only for the development of public policies but also to combat misinformation and the “political exploitation of statistical voids.”
“IL believes that policy should be based on facts and data, and the unavailability or poor quality of such data is counterproductive, serving only to fuel prejudices and stigmas instead of accurately representing criminal dynamics,” it notes.
Thus, the party recommends that the Government disclose in the RASI and the Online Portal of Justice Statistics “data related to gender, age, nationality, and type of residence permit, as well as the country of origin, particularly concerning the criminals and victims of reported crime.”
In the previous legislative session, IL’s resolution on this matter was approved by the Assembly of the Republic after Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed willingness to include these data in the RASI.
This new IL resolution was announced on the eve of the Assembly of the Republic’s debate on the 2024 RASI, marked by the removal of a chapter on extremism.
