Alarming Increase in Torture Cases in Mexico, Authorities Solve Less than 1% of Cases

EspañolComplaints of torture continue to be a problem in Mexico, having increased significantly over the last year.

Authorities appear to be the ones doing the torturing, new information from the country’s National Commission for Human Rights reveals, and its frequency has increased fives times since last year. The Attorney General’s Office has solved less than one percent of those cases.

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The number of complaints increased from 43 in 2015 to 209 in 2016. That’s a growth of 386 percent. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of complaints had dropped to just five and seven cases, respectively, whereas in previous years the number of complaints ranged between 10 and 20.

Some have speculated that the increase in torture complaints is due to a change in the complaint registration system. However, others claim there has been stronger encouragement to report torture.

From 2010 to 2016, the CNDH has issued 68 recommendations about cruel treatment and torture for different government offices at both the federal and state levels. In five of those cases, the investigation was closed “due to lack of interest from the person who promoted it or because there is insufficient evidence.” The rest of the complaints are still unaddressed.

In only two of the 68 recommendations, an official involved did not recognize the complaint.

According to data from the CNDH, 108 officials have received notice of cases of torture, but there are 150 still involved in unresolved cases. The Federal Police have the most cases, with 46 percent of registered complaints. They did not issue a statement as to whether it trains its members to use torture as an enforcement strategy.

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The Attorney General’s Office ranks second with 24.39 percent of complaints, while other entities such as the National Institute of Migration and Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) also have torture complaints.

Torture seems to be practically impossible to punish in Mexico. Between 2012 and 2016, only 22 cases were resolved or came before a judge.

Source: Animal Político