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Dual Injustice Feminicide and Torture in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua

Para mirar y leer sobre "Doble Injusticia" en Español, haz cliq aquí.

June 28, 2006: David Meza was released from prison today. Imprisoned for the last 3 years, Meza was tortured to confess to the kidnapping and murder of his cousin Neyra Cervantes. Watch a video of his release here (in Spanish only).

Neyra Azucena Cervantes was last seen on her way home from school in Chihuahua City around 6 pm on May 13th, 2003. When her family learned of her disappearance that evening, they contacted the police. However, as authorities were typically slow to investigate, Neyra's relatives created a task force of family and friends to search for her. Among the many called upon, David Meza, Neyra's cousin, traveled 1,500 miles from the southern state of Chiapas to join their search and demand police assistance. As negligent authorities took a month to put up missing signs of Neyra and reassigned new officers to her case every eight days, the family grew more critical of the police's efforts. As the days and weeks passed, the family increasingly pressured authorities to properly investigate Neyra's disappearance. During a heated discussion in their last meeting with the Attorney General, David directly challenged his competence, to which he responded, "You want a culprit? You're going to have him very soon." One week later, David was in jail.

Unfortunately, Neyra and David's story is common in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, but stands out as a family dealing with the loss of a loved one, and also the torture and incarceration of a relative. Since 1993, more than 400 women have been violently killed and there have been over 4,000 registered complaints of disappeared women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua. This systemic problem has been called "feminicide" and has been known as the most embarrassing human rights scandal in Mexico's recent history. One of the most striking characteristics of the situation is how the families of the disappeared women and those of the accused in jail have joined efforts in their struggle to overcome a dual injustice: the loss of a loved one and also the torture and incarceration of a relative.

In the past twelve years, explanations as to why women are being abducted and brutally murdered have ranged from forced prostitution and organ trafficking, to satanic rituals and the production of snuff movies. However, there have been no sufficient evidence convincingly pointing to any particular theory that could explain all these crimes, nor are any of the possible hypothesis exclusive. Regardless, the phenomenon shows a clear pattern of gender based violence and continues to thrive due to the authorities' failure to properly investigate the murders. Under fire for its negligence and incompetence, local authorities have attempted to appease public outcry by torturing people into confessing to these murders. Currently, there are 12 men in jail for roughly 30 murders of women, all of which are based on confessions with credible reports of torture. David is one of these cases.

Although Chihuahua's Attorney General has referred to the problem of murders of women as a "myth," a large pink cross filled with embedded nails and hanging nametags for each a victim sits in front of the Governor's office to remind authorities of the soaring numbers. In 2004, 31 women were brutally killed in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, which represents a 58% increase compared to 2003. In January to March 2005 alone, six bodies have been found so far. Meanwhile, those tortured to confess to the murders sit in jail.

Join WITNESS and the Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos to put an end to "feminicide" and torture in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua. Watch the video, read the story, check out the resources for more information, and ACT NOW.

Download a flyer about "Dual Injustice":

Dual_Injustice_flyer.pdf (83.52 KB)

To hear a discussion on the murders in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua as well as the use of torture in investigations there visit: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/06022005. The interview aired on WNYC's Leonard Lopate show in June 2005. You must have RealPlayer to listen to the archived show.