INTENTIONAL HOMICIDES IN COSTA RICA: SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract

This article summarizes social, demographic and other environmental characteristics
of voluntary manslaughters that occurred in Costa Rica during the 1998-1999
period, based on guilty verdicts given by the justice courts. It is emphasized that
most of the offenders and the victims were male, which is associated with the link
between masculinity and violence, as well as some other characteristics of the
offenders. In addition, most of the crimes happened during the weekend, and it is
disturbing that Limon, the less populated province in the country, has the highest
rates of voluntary manslaughter per one hundred thousand inhabitants.