Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Social, economical and political crisis in Central
America are the reason why hundreds of
children run away from their home looking for
a shelter in the streets. Unfortunately, they
find destruction, exploitation, rejection and
violent death.
VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN FROM THE STREETS CONTINUES IN
GUATEMALA CITY: A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS MURDERED, AND A 17 YEAR
OLD HONDURAN BOY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED
The cold streets of Guatemala City witnessed the murder of a 17 years old
Guatemalan girl. The night of April 20, Delfina Elizabeth Chocoj Ruiz was
sleeping in a dark alley downtown. Close to her, a group of teenagers
were running away from a man who was persecuting them with a gun.
The teenagers escaped, but one of them, a 17 years old Honduran boy,
hided close to Delfina. The man shot him and Delfina. She died instantly
due to three gunshots that cross over her thin body. The Honduran boy
was also shot, and right now he is fighting for his life at a national hospital.
Investigation and prosecution is in charge of the Public Ministry of
Guatemala. This situation confirms again the violence suffered by
Guatemalan society, which affects the most vulnerable population:
children and teenagers, who die day after day at the violent streets.
Social, economical and political crisis in Central America are the reason why
hundreds of children run away from their home looking for a shelter in the
streets. Unfortunately, they find destruction, exploitation, rejection and
violent death. During more than two decades Casa Alianza has been
denouncing this situation to government and society, but still we have not
seen real actions to change children´s situation, even the State of
Guatemala was condemned by the Human Rights Interamerican Court to
implement an Action Plan to protect street children. According to recent
statistics, an average of two violent murders of children occur every day
only in Guatemala City. Most of these murders remain in impunity.
The violent death of Delfina Elizabeth Chocoj Ruiz is a call to provide a
concrete answer to protect children and teenagers from the street, and we
hope that Public Ministry authorities make the proper investigation to find
the murderer and apply legislation. Justice is the only way to construct a
different society, where children find a hope for their future, instead of a
nightmare on the streets.
Recently, Casa Alianza promoted at the Congress of Guatemala the
creation of THE DAY OF NO VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
to create a commitment from government and society, and to honour the
memory of every child who has been a victim of violence. For any reason,
children and teenagers should live and die in the streets.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: comunicacion2@casaalianza.org.gt