Crime in Peru has steadily decreased since the 2010s and into the 2020s. Peru's main indicators of crime are the homicide rate and the victimization rate; the victimization rate dropped from forty percent in 2011 to under twenty five percent in 2020.

Crime by type

Murder

In 2012, Peru had a murder rate of 9.6 per 100,000 population. There were a total of 2,865 murders in Peru in 2012.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC; French: ''Office des Nations unies contre la drogue et le crime'') is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the ...

, 2013. By 2015, this had declined to 7.16 per 100,000, with 2,247 murders recorded.

Corruption

Peru's most prominent political corruption scandal is probably the case of

Alberto Fujimori Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator, * * * * * * he remains a ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

's ex-President. Fujimori has been convicted of having ordered killings, embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power and corruption during his 10 years of presidency (1990–2000). In 2006, Fujimori fled to Japan with an alleged USD 600 million of public assets. He has been sentenced to a total of more than 30 years in prison.

Domestic violence

In 2006, Ministry of Women and Social Development (MIMDES) centers reported 25,036 cases of domestic violence in Peru. The centers helped an average of 2,067 men and women per month. MIMDES also operated a toll-free hot line, which handled 7,785 requests for assistance regarding family disturbances during 2006. Women's organizations noted that alcohol abuse and traditional attitudes toward women aggravated the problems of rape and

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

, particularly in rural areas. In November 2006, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

reported that 69 percent of Peruvian women said they had suffered from some form of physical violence in their lives.Report on Human Rights Practices 2006: Peru

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs (DRL) is a bureau within the United States Department of State. The bureau is under the purview of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. DRL's res ...

(6 March 2007). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

.'' A 2013 study by

University of San Martín de Porres The University of San Martin de Porres (USMP) is a private nonprofit university located in the city of Lima, Peru. It was founded by the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church in 1962. History The Dominican foundation: Pro Deo Th ...

found that violence against women cost per $6.7 billion USD annually due to the loss of productivity.

Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade in Peru includes the growing of coca and the shipment of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

to the United States. In 2013, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

reported that Peru had become the largest producer of

in the world.

Illegal logging

Law and justice system

The Ministry of the Interior is the main interior authority within Peru, overseeing the

Peruvian National Police The Peruvian National Police ( es, Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merge of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, a ...

. The Judicial Power of Peru oversees the judiciary of Peru, with the Superior Courts of Justice of Peru assuming the role of trying criminal cases. The

Instituto Nacional Penitenciario The National Penitentiary Institute of Peru ( es, Instituto Nacional Penitenciario, INPE, links=no) is the government agency charged with incarcerating convicts and suspects charged with crimes. It is part of the Peruvian government's Ministry of ...

is the government authority tasked with the incarceration of criminals within the country.

References

{{Americas topic, Crime in