Number of murders in Italy marks lowest record in 150 years

The number of murder cases has been lowering in recent two decades in Italy, which marked a new record low in 150 years, according to a latest research published on local media on Monday. "In the last three decades of 1900s, the number of murders consummated or attempted was in a climb, reaching its peak in 1991, since then the number started decreasing," the Italian news paper La Repubblica quoted Marzio Barbagli, a sociologist and professor in the University of Bologna. According his research based on unpublished figures, Barbagli considered the change as "an extrodinary revolution", which makes murders in Italy less than that in Britain, France, Denmark and Belgium. The research also suggested that the economic crisis had not push Italians back into those dark memories of 1990s. In 2011, the consummated and attempted murder reports were 553 and 1,401. The numbers reduced to 528 and 1,327 respectively in 2012. And in the first nine months of 2013, both consummated and attempted murders registered an even fewer record than last year. "Based on these numbers, we can estimate that consummated and attempted murders should be around 480 and 1,207 this year," the socialist said, "Contrary to what you might assume, that the economic crisis has resulted in a strong social crisis in Italy, the number of murders has not increased, and declined further." Still, the figures sometimes could also be deceiving, according to journalist-writer Massimo Carlotto. "The decline of the murder victims is only the fruit of agreements between gangs of criminals at the international level and of the division of trade pacts, territories and labors." He was quoted as saying. He said that the organizd crime has now merged with the "white collars" and has become a system in Italy. "The approach has changed, the crime now wants to count more on companies, and thus they go to universities to better manage their empires," he added, "Maybe a strong political change could disrupt the system."