Guns in 64% of the country’s violent deaths merit disarmament

Santo Domingo.- Just one day after Justice minister Radhames Jimenez admitted defeat in the fight against femicides, a prominent political scientist affirms that disarming the population would help sharply reduce the most violent of deaths, where both the victim and perpetrator had weapons .

Daniel Pou called “alarming” the number of people who die from gunshots every day. "We must implement a policy of disarmament … There’s quite a direct link between the use of weapons and the increase in violence."

He said guns are used in 64% of Dominican Republic’s violent deaths.

In that regard the psychologist Luis Berges said the link between firearms and violence is growing. "When a firearm is present, the person who has it thinks they’re more empowered, which then heightens the perception of dominance and submission over the other person.”