Did you know that out of 100 women that Amnesty International interviewed in prisons in Mexico, 97 had been physically abused? Seventy-two had been sexually abused, and Thirty- two had been raped? Many women were tortured into confessing that they were part of a drug cartel when the truth was they were not. They were taken from public places, tortured then put in jail. These women were taken away from their families, friends, and lives. Mexico would rather jail innocent women than protect them to give the illusion that they are cracking down on crime.

The survivors will gain closure knowing that their abusers are in prison paying for their crimes. Trauma will always stay with you no matter how hard you try to bury it will show through in your everyday life. This is true for the 37-year-old Verónica Razo, who cannot sleep at night because her abuse plays through her mind every day. Verónica is one of the many women who has suffered abuse at the hands of law enforcement. In 2011 Veronica was tortured. She was suffocated, electrocuted, and raped by federal police. The police wanted her to confess to being part of a criminal gang when the truth is she is innocent.

Claudia Hernandez went through a similar experience when police sexually abused her. Since the abuse, the trauma has been significant in Mrs. Hernandez’s life. She cannot even bear to have children. “She fears that her children could one day face the same sort of abuse” these police officers that abused her have altered her life dramatically. She cannot start a family because of the abuse.

Women should be able to live freely in Mexico without the fear of torture and sexual assault. Safety is one of our rights as humans. For the women in Mexico, feeling safe is not a privilege they can afford. They have to be careful everywhere. “A housewife who was kidnapped from the street as she was on her way to buy groceries by unknown men...a mother arrested as she walked to pick up her children from school; and a young woman who witnessed her husband being tortured to death by police officers...” Nowhere is safe for them. 

In addition, Women in Mexico are being abused by the same people employed to protect them. “A number of the women we spoke to had been raped by individuals belonging to the Navy....” Law enforcement is supposed to protect us from the criminals, not be the criminals. These officers have an immense amount of power compared to the average Mexican woman. Officers are employed to protect people, but instead, they choose to abuse these women. When the women are tortured, they are forced to confess to being a part of kidnapping or drug rings when they are entirely innocent. “Rape and other forms of sexual violence are routinely being used to torture women into confessing to crimes. These confessions...create the illusion that the authorities are doing something to tackle the security crisis currently enveloping Mexico.” Some Mexican police officers commit crimes to make it seem like they're doing something to protect Mexico.

Women should be able to trust the Mexican government to give them justice. When women have been sexually abused or tortured, they usually keep it to themselves. They may start to self-shame and potentially hurt themselves. Living with that trauma is a terrible way to live. Coming forward and telling people about your abuse is a terrifying and strong thing to do. It takes an immense amount of courage. When reporting abuse, survivors are usually looking for justice to be served. The sad truth is that the abusers are not always brought to justice. Ms. Jiménez has been fighting for justice for 10+ years. Ms. Jiménez first took her case to the Mexican government. Mexico did very little to help her. “The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is considering the case of Ms. Jiménez and ten other women who were sexually abused, tortured, and jailed...” Women have to take their cases elsewhere because the Mexican government fails them.