97% of Child Murders in Mexico Go Unpunished as Violence Rises

Fueled by the lack of public policies on child protection, violence against minors is on the rise since 2015 in Mexico, with vulnerable children being recruited and exploited by criminal organizations, Mexican news outlet Excelsior reported Monday.

RELATED: 

Almost Five Million Syrian Children Born Into War: UNICEF

Numerous organized crime groups use young boys and girls for their activities, leading to an explosion of murders of minors in recent years.

Statistics from the Mexican Secretariat of Public Security (SESP) in 2015 recorded 767 homicides against minors in the country by 2017, 1,132 violent deaths were reported, the majority by firearms. And the numbers reached their peak in 2018 as SESP reported 1,252 murders, representing an average of four minors per day.

From January to September 2019, 796 girls, boys and adolescents were killed in the North American country, according to Mexico's Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP), 653 were boys and 143 were girls.

The lack of attention in investigating these homicides generates impunity for criminal organizations, head of the Network for Children's Rights in Mexico (REDIM) Juan Martin Garcia said.

RELATED: 

US Court Blocks Trump Policy Forcing Migrants To Wait in Mexico

“With some four homicides a day, it becomes more acute when we speak of impunity since of every 100 investigations where boys and girls are victims, only three reach some type of sentence. 97 percent go unpunished," the official said.

Social breakdown and violence is a breeding ground for organized crime that takes advantage of minors in vulnerable situations, according to psychologist Alejandra Sanchez, a specialist in victims of organized crime.

“Children are enrolled in organized crime because of their vulnerable situation. They are among the most vulnerable, and more so if they come from dysfunctional families,” she added.

The number of minors working with organized crime in Mexico remains unclear but human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 children are currently involved.