Let’s raise our voices #UntilWeAreHeard

Let’s raise our voices #UntilWeAreHeard

The State of Mexico is one of the most dangerous states for women in Mexico! It ranks first in the number of feminicides committed every month and the majority of the killings go unpunished.

Amnesty International Mexico documented four cases of feminicide following disappearances in the eastern region of the State of Mexico, specifically analyzing the failings in the criminal investigations into the cases. The findings in these cases are consistent with a pattern of failings in criminal investigations that has been previously identified by other research and has been highlighted by civil society organizations and rights holders themselves.

I believe that to this day we are still fighting to be heard. We are still trying to get the State of Mexico to provide solutions for us as women. 

Laura Curiel, mother of Daniela Sánchez Curiel

All of this suggests that feminicidal violence and the failings in the investigation and prevention of this violence are not mere anecdotes from the north of Mexico but are part of a wider reality in the country. Thus the failings in the criminal investigations seen in Ciudad Juárez more than 20 years ago are still occurring today in other parts of Mexico. In this regard, the Mexican government continues to fail in its duty to investigate and, therefore, in its duty to guarantee the rights to life and personal safety of the victims and its duty to prevent violence against women.

We need more sensitive officials who really put themselves in our shoes in order to carry out all these proceedings that the families are requesting. 

Ana Sosa, daughter of Julia Sosa Conde

The Mexican authorities continue to violate the rights to access to justice and legal protection of the families of victims of feminicide and disappearances, the duty of non-discrimination, and the right to personal safety due to the suffering and harassment suffered by the families.

The investigations carried out by the authorities into these feminicides are lacking because:

● They lose evidence and do not look into different lines of investigation.

● They do not apply a gender perspective as set out in the protocols for investigating violent deaths of women.

● Their failure to act forces the mothers, daughters and family members of victims of feminicide to spend time and money on investigation work that is the responsibility of the government, and to put pressure on the authorities to comply with their duties.

This seriously affects the families’ access to truth, justice, comprehensive reparation and guarantees of non-repetition.

The cases documented are: Nadia Muciño Márquez, disappeared and killed in 2004; Daniela Sánchez Curiel, disappeared in 2015, whereabouts currently unknown and whose family believe was a victim of feminicide; the case of Diana Velázquez Florencio, disappeared and killed in 2017; and the case of Julia Sosa Conde, disappeared and killed at the end of 2018.

Mothers, daughters and family members continue to seek justice.

It is the government’s duty to provide us with prompt and expedited justice and truth. And that is not the case.

María Antonia Márquez, mother of Nadia Muciño
Laura lost her daughter in 2015. She still doesn’t know what happened.
Lidia Florencio has been seeking justice for her daughter Diana Velázquez Florencio for more than 5 years.
María Antonia Márquez has been seeking justice for her daughter Nadia Muciño Márquez since 2004.
Ana Sosa had to search for her missing mother by herself, without the support of authorities.

In this campaign we call on the authorities to:

● Take a public stance to acknowledge the failings in investigations into feminicides following disappearances in the State of Mexico.

● Allocate the resources needed to deal with gender-based violent crimes in the State of Mexico, and those necessary for the public officials who carry out this work to be able to do it efficiently and in decent working conditions.

● Investigate any public officials who have committed misconduct or offences against victims and impose appropriate disciplinary measures where necessary.

● Guarantee the right to truth, justice, comprehensive reparation and guarantees of non-repetition of the mothers, daughters, sons and family members of the victims.

It is only with actions taken by the family, with pressure, that we see progress from the Attorney General’s Office

Lidia Florencio, mother of Diana Velázquez Florencio

Watch the full documentary Hasta ser Escuchadas

MORE INFORMATION ON THE FAILINGS IN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO FEMINICIDES FOLLOWING DISAPPEARANCES IN THE STATE OF MEXICO