Since 1993 over 370 women have been murdered, at least 137 of them after being sexually assaulted in the Chihuahua state of Mexico This document focuses on the cases of murder with sexual violence and abduction of women in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua because they constitute one of the most alarming examples of violence against women. It looks at the failure of the Mexican authorities to see them in the context of a pattern of abductions and killings of women and girls that share similar features, thereby denying the relatives a proper response and an effective judicial remedy. Through the examination of specific cases, the report provides an analysis of the State’s failure to exercise due diligence in preventing, investigating and punishing such crimes. It also sets out Mexico’s obligations under international human rights standards, together with a series of conclusions. The report ends with a set of recommendations which, in the opinion of Amnesty International, need to be fully and effectively implemented.
