WUNRN
Amnesty International
Guatemala - Time to End the Inaction over Killings of Women & Girls
March to protest violence against women in
© JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/Getty Images
17/01/2013
- Authorities in
On 16 January, the bodies of the two girls were found in a street in
Around 560 women were murdered in
Less than 4 per cent of all homicide cases result in perpetrators being
convicted.
“There is no let-up in the cases of killings of women and girls recorded every
month, despite the national scandal this has become for
“Thousands of cases of killings of women and girls dating from the last decade
are still unresolved or end up being archived due to inefficiencies.”
Claudina Velásquez, a 19-year-old university student was found dead on 13
August 2005. She had been shot dead. Her killers have never been found.
Serious deficiencies were reported in relation to the effectiveness of the
investigation, including no tests being carried out on the main suspects to
ascertain if they had fired a gun.
Claudina’s father has repeatedly visited the Public Prosecutor’s Office,
suggested lines of investigation and pushed for action on his daughter’s case.
However, no visible progress has been made.
15-year old Maria Isabel Franco was raped and killed in December 2001.
Her mother, Rosa Franco has been fighting for justice ever since, but the
Guatemalan authorities have not brought the perpetrators to justice.
The case has now been referred up to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,
increasing the pressure on the Guatemalan authorities to act.
“By failing to prevent violence, mount effective investigations and ensure
those responsible face justice, authorities in Guatemala are sending the
message that abusing and murdering women is allowed,” said Elgueta.
Amnesty International calls on the authorities to fully investigate the latest
killings of the two girls and two women, and to bring those responsible to
justice.
The government must also take urgent steps to deal with the many unresolved
cases of gender-based violence that have plagued Guatemala in the recent past,
by ensuring that investigations are properly carried out and victims’ deaths do
not remain in impunity.