In impunity, nine out of 10 intentional homicides

In Mexico, impunity in cases of intentional homicides and femicides is alarming, since out of every 100 murders registered in the country, on average, only seven are solved, indicated the most recent study by the organization Impunidad Cero.

“The increase in the incidence and complexity of intentional homicides, coupled with the low capacity to investigate these crimes of extreme gravity and social impact, translate into impunity,” states the report “Impunity in intentional homicide and femicide 2022.”

According to the study, after calculating the impunity rate for both crimes under study, after requesting the number of sentences through the transparency law from the local judiciary, excluding Jalisco and Guanajuato for both crimes, and Veracruz for the crime of femicide.

Based on the requests for information sent during 2021, 2,372 convictions for intentional homicide and 454 convictions for femicide were registered in the country.

While it was observed that from 2020 to 2021 convictions for intentional homicide increased 54%, reaching pre-pandemic levels, while sentences for femicide increased 65%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

From 2016 to 2021, the report detailed, the accumulated impunity for intentional homicides was 93% at the national level and in femicides it was 56.6 percent.

It is worth mentioning that the Supreme Court ruled that every violent death of a woman must be investigated as femicide, however, only 27% of the violent deaths of women were investigated as under said protocol in 2021.

The states with the highest rates of femicide victims per 100,000 women during 2021 were Quintana Roo (2.9), Sonora (2.8), Sinaloa (2.6), Chihuahua (2.4), Morelos (2.3) and Nuevo León (2.3).

Comparison with Latin America

The report highlighted that Mexico is one of the countries with the highest rates of intentional homicides in Latin America, since in 2020 the country ranked third with the highest rate of intentional homicides.

As of 2018, the report added, the rate exceeded that of other countries, which used to be above Mexico in the matter, such as Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala.

According to data from the Executive Secretariat, in 2021 the country registered a rate of 27 victims of intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which is equivalent to 94 murders per day.

While the geographic distribution has changed in recent years, depending on the dynamics of organized crime in each state, public security policies implemented at the state and federal levels, as well as the economic and social realities of each region.

States with increases

The states with the highest percentage changes from 2015 to 2021 were Zacatecas (445.3%), Oaxaca (260.3%), Guanajuato (242.4%), Baja California (204.4%) and Sonora (199.1%).

These states, with the exception of Baja California, did not rank as the most violent in the country six years ago.

Meanwhile, between 2015 and 2021 changes are observed in the modality of occurrence of the criminal act that point to the prevalence of firearms, both in events against women and men.

maritza.perez@eleconomista.mx