Libres y Combativas, photo Libres y Combativas

Libres y Combativas, photo Libres y Combativas   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Libres y Combativas, Socialist feminist campaign of Izquierda Revolucionaria (CWI Mexico)

We denounce and actively fight against sexist violence. In 2018, this violence has escalated with the nine registered femicides every day, in addition to thousands of victims of domestic violence, harassment and all sexual crimes – dangers that we face every day.

On 20 December 2018, one of our members was raped, robbed and kidnapped for more than an hour. It was reported to the specialised prosecutor for sex offenses (FDS-5) the same night, after almost ten hours waiting for the entire initial procedure to end.

But 21 days after the application was filed, there is still no report on the videos of the five surveillance cameras that FDS-5 indicates exist around the route and place of the events.

We demand:

1) Immediate action. Review the videos of the five cameras. The report is not yet in the investigation folder. This is mandatory procedure.

2) We denounce the classification of the crime. The most serious crime that must be prosecuted with greater urgency – and punished with the highest possible sentence – is the crime of rape. The Mexico City attorney general’s office intends only to classify it as ‘express kidnapping’.This reflects the lack of gender perspective in the institutions that should provide justice. We demand the case is handled from a gender perspective.

3) We demand that the process is carried out in a humanised and empathetic manner towards our member, and other victims of sexual crimes.

4) We demand a trial and exemplary punishment for the rapists.

People who have signed this statement want to express our support to our member in this tough process. She is not alone! From different areas, solidarity and political support will be evident.