#87 Urban Crime in Brazil: The Case of Sao Paulo, 1880-1924
By Boris Fausto
This paper concerns itself with crime in the city of Sao Paulo in a period characterized by intense development and considerable influx of foreign immigration. Based primarily on research on judicial cases found in the Judicial Archives of Sao Paulo, it focuses specifically on crimes against property.
The study includes analysis of the characteristics of the defendants with respect to nationality, race, age, sex, and recurrence rate. Certain delinquent actions (individual or by groups) are discussed as a step towards understanding the reasons for the absence of "gang" crime in Sao Paulo. The study also contains short references to victims and certain types of crimes which are more significant from the point of view of social history . On the other hand, jury decisions are examined as a basis for understanding how the educated strata of the society judge the poor and marginal population groups.
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