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[WASHINGTON, D.C., 20 October 2006] – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held a hearing about violence against children and young people in Guatemala on 19 October 2006 in Washington, D.C., United States. The hearing was brought to the Commission by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and Guatemalan organisations Social Movement for Children and Young People’s Rights and Casa Alianza. They reported that from January to June 2006, an estimated 200 children and young people were murdered in the capital. Executions have increased by 14 per cent since last year in this part of the country. The organisations said that the high murder rate of children could be referred to as State-tolerated social cleansing. The government accepted that the term social cleansing could be used and government representatives at the hearing admitted that in some cases members of the National Police had participated in the murder of children. The Commission heard that the situation is getting worse as a result of the State’s lack of capacity for investigating the killings. This is creating a culture of impunity and exposes the absence of a serious prevention policy which guarantees respect for human rights. The Commission expressed concern about the issue and offered to make a country-visit, which would be carried out by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Rapporteur on Children’s Rights and the Commissioner for Guatemala, Víctor Abramovich. Abramovich pointed out that the Commission is monitoring this situation carefully as well as the situation of people in prison in the Central American country. The petitioning organisations hope that this hearing highlights the need for the Guatemalan State to take immediate steps to guarantee the fundamental rights of children and young people. More information