Jessica Xantomila and Carolina Gomez Mena
The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, July 31, 2024, p. 11
In Mexico, human trafficking is a crime that affects seriously
to children and can leave deep scars on both their development and well-being, the United Nations System warned.
He highlighted that between 2020 and 2024, 958 investigation files have been registered in which the victims are minors, according to figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.
He explained that of that total number of files, 740 correspond to girls and adolescents, and 218 to boys, for which he invited To all actors to work
so as not to leave any child behind in the fight against this scourge.
On the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which was commemorated yesterday, he indicated that children and adolescents are particularly exposed to forms of exploitation such as sexual exploitation, begging, forced marriages and use in criminal activities.
Guadalupe Torres Campos, responsible for the Episcopal Dimension for the Pastoral of Human Mobility of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, stated that The current scenario of human trafficking in the context of human mobility is that of a prison without bars, in which all rights are violated with impunity.
.
The bishop of Ciudad Juárez also pointed out that millions around the world are systematically forced into various forms of violence linked to trafficking, and that statistics indicate that women and girls represent the highest percentage of victims.
According to data from the National Institute for Women, around 85 percent of those affected are women, adolescents and girls, and in this regard, she pointed out that there must be zero tolerance for this crime. She noted that many women are recruited through deception and violence to be sexually exploited, so she called on people to break the silence and report if there is evidence of a crime.
The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women stated that human trafficking is considered one of the most serious crimes of violation of human rights, being classified as a modern symbol of slavery in the 21st century.
In the country, the United Nations System stated that the forced recruitment of children and adolescents for security functions has been identified. falconry and drug and migrant trafficking, among other crimes. He noted that according to data from civil society organizations, between 140,000 and 250,000 minors in Mexico were at risk of being recruited in 2021.
She said that according to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, one in three victims of trafficking worldwide are minors, and this group is twice as likely to suffer extreme violence than adults.
The Executive Commission for Victim Assistance published a new edition of the Booklet for the Prevention of Crimes in Human Trafficking, which highlights that in the country eight out of 10 victims are women and girls.
