Rio muggings warning

Travellers to Rio de Janeiro are reportedly being warned of an “explosion” in muggings and violent crimes, after 24 attacks were reported to the police last weekend. According to a report in The Independent, visitors from Germany, Italy and Argentina were among the victims, while a Japanese woman was hospitalised after muggers stabbed her. Last month, the newspaper reports, gunmen held up a bus-load of 17 German tourists heading from the airport to a downtown hotel. Alfredo Lopez de Souza, of the Rio Hotel Industry Association, is quoted as saying: “The authorities are not doing enough to protect tourists and citizens. “All of this affects the decisions made by tourists on where to go. Occupancy rates are reasonable now, but we could have many more coming. We could be building new hotels but we are not. Violence is the biggest problem in Rio.” A spokesman for the state security secretariat reportedly said: “These numbers are not normal and something has got to change.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd