Femicide in Latin America

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The concerning increase in violent female homicides within the last two decades has prompted many Latin American countries to distinguish these deaths from other homicides by labeling them “femicides.” Femicide refers to the specific killing of women and girls for gender-based reasons, and has cast a dark shadow over the safety of women in these respective countries. In many Latin American countries, impunity of the justice system contributes to the increase in femicide cases. Police agencies and judges often do not thoroughly investigate or prosecute the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, which results in criminals viewing the justice systems’ stance on violence against women as tolerated and permitted. 

In Mexico alone, femicides have increased 145 percent since 2015. In 2020, 977 women were killed, which increased  to 1,015 women in 2021. These are only the cases classified as femicides, which is an official legal term used in Mexico, but the killings of women overall is a much higher number. A particular case that garnered a lot of traction recently is that of Debanhi Susana Escobar Bazaldúa, who was an 18-year-old girl found dead in a roadside hotel’s water tank. After her family spent nearly two weeks searching for her once she was reported missing, with little help from the police, the discovery of her body sparked a lot of public outrage over the gender-based murder of women, and how thousands of other women are reported missing yet nothing is done to help search for them. At her funeral, Debhanhi’s father, Mario Escobar, stated his daughter's corpse had been "beaten and strangled." Debanhi was among the more than 1,600 women reported missing in Mexico in 2022 thus far. Debanhi’s perpetrator has not been found or identified yet. 

One of the most common perpetrators in femicide cases are intimate partners. Femicide is often preceded by unreported or unpunished physical violence. On official record, places like Argentina and Peru reported intimate partners to be the highest distribution of femicide cases. During the COVID-19 lockdowns in Latin American countries, reports of domestic violence surged, consequently resulting in more femicides. For example, Mexico’s domestic violence reports increased by 25% in March 2020 in comparison to the same month of the previous year. In Columbia, phone calls to their domestic violence helpline in the first 18 days of quarantine increased by more than 120%. In Chile, phone calls to their domestic violence helpline in the first weekend of quarantine increased by more than 50%.

In Brazil, recent crime statistics show that murder rates have declined, but femicide cases have increased. Within the northeastern part of the country, the city, Ceará has seen the homicide rate fall by 10.6%, but the rate of femicides increased by 26.1%. The northern state of  Roraima, has seen the murder rate increase by 64.9%, and most crucially, the rate of violent deaths involving female victims rose 165.7%. Brazil is severely stricken by deadly domestic violence problems, which has a large impact on the rate of femicides. These murders are often the result from violent incidences that remain unreported. 

In addition to Brazil, El Salvador also experiences high rates of femicide. On March 7th, 2022, thousands of women marched in El Salvador’s capital demanding the government take more action in protecting women against violence. In 2017, research conducted by the United Nations found that 67% of Salvadoran women experienced violence of some form in their lives, and in 2019, the country had one of the highest rates of femicide in Latin America. These violent, gender-based murders against women are attributed to a lack of laws protecting women against violence and inaction from the police to investigate femicide cases, whether it be due to disinterest or overwhelmed police forces. 

Institutional weaknesses have contributed to the issue of impunity, resulting in a lack of respect for the rule of law and poor regulation of femicide cases. In a 2020 report from Amnesty International, state authorities failed to examine crime scenes properly, store collected evidence securely, and carry out forensic tests or processes, which resulted in a loss of data, objects or substances, and testimonies. Authorities do not always investigate every avenue of inquiry, and their failure to act often results in the families of victims leading investigations and using their own resources. The report also found, however, that the authorities often don’t have the necessary resources to help them perform investigations. Many police agencies have an excessive workload, personnel often have to pay for necessary investigation resources themselves, and agencies do not have anywhere to safely or securely store evidence. While it is critical to recognize the challenges these agencies face, it does not mean that it is acceptable for femicides to persistently be unrecognized and under-prosecuted. For the cases that are investigated and make it to trial, judges base verdicts on personal biases rather than international law or treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. 

More action is needed to combat femicide in Latin America. Due to government inaction and impunity for perpetrators, femicide rates are rampant in Latin America and 98% of these murders are under-prosecuted. Passing legislation that classifies gender-based murders as femicide is a means to create tools that properly punish violence against women. For example, The UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights launched the Latin American Model Protocol in 2014 for the investigation of gender-related killings of women. The Model Protocol is a tool for the police, courts, officials in the justice systems, and forensic doctors to properly investigate femicide. The Protocol clearly explains that it is the duty of the state to protect women,which involves measures such as sanctions and prevention. It helps authorities understand their responsibilities in addressing violence against women. 

Some countries have offices within police agencies that are dedicated to investigating crimes that are linked to gender-based violence. Allocating funds to these offices to ensure they have enough financial resources available to carry out investigations is crucial to helping achieve justice and awareness for femicide cases. Additionally, multiple State and Human Rights Commissions within Latin American countries ought to look into why the criminal investigations of femicides have failed,  and offer recommendations to address this issue. Lastly, government officials and authorities should publicly acknowledge the problem of femicides and disappearances. Acknowledging that femicide is an issue and a concern for women particularly in this region will result in more discussion and awareness, and allow Latin American women to rightfully demand change in legislation and justice for victims of femicide.