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Long regarded as “the most peaceful country in the world”, Iceland’s tranquility seems to have been disrupted following a series of shootings and stabbings by criminal gangs.
The country with only 375,000 inhabitants is more accustomed to reading about murders in its famous novels than in the morning newspapers.
“A weapon for Icelanders symbolizes sport or hunting,” says sociologist Helgi Gunnlaugsson. “It is very unknown to the citizen here that you should use a weapon to defend yourself or to direct people.” he told AFP.
Iceland has topped the Global Peace Index since 2008 thanks to low crime, strong education and welfare systems, fair wages and a lack of tension between social classes.
Only four people have been killed by firearms in more than two decades. But in a little over a year four cases of incidents have been reported where there have been gunshots, one of which was fatal.
In February 2021, a man was shot dead by bullets outside his home in a suburb of the capital Reykjavik, a murder that shook the country. Forensic expert Margret Valdimarsdottir says the current situation poses a challenge to police
“Criminal groups in Iceland are becoming more organized. What we are noticing is that they have more connections with international groups, which can be a challenge for our police. It is important to note that Iceland is still an extremely low crime country. We are still at the top of the Global Peace Index. “Murder rates have not risen, nor have assassination attempts.”
In February, two gunshots were linked to drug deals and took place in Reykjavik two days apart, one in the city center. Gang violence there is now similar to what is seen in other parts of Europe.
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