At least 57 girls, boys, adolescents and young people (CAY) dead violently in Honduras in January 2023.It represents an increase of 9.6% compared to the same month of 2022, according to figures released this Friday by the Network of Child Rights Agencies (Coiproden). The data show that of the 57 children and youth killed in the first month of 2023, 77% (44) were men and 23% (13) were women.
The number of children and youth who died increased by 5 cases compared to the first month of 2022 when 52 deaths were recorded. The organization that defends the rights of children and youth underlined the fact that 70% (40) of the victims were between the ages of 19-30 and 30% (17) were under the age of 18.
Coiproden announced that the central and northern states of Francisco Morazán, Cortés and Yoro in Honduras were the three regions where the highest rates of child, adolescent and youth homicide were recorded in January. According to the statistics of the NGO, a total of 14 children and teenagers died in Francisco Morazán, 10 in Cortés and 8 in Yoro.
The Coiproden Network urged Honduran president Xiomara Castro to convene the National Council of Child and Adolescent Rights Guarantees (Sigadenah). He also noted that the ratification of the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is in the hands of the Honduran Parliament. He also condemned the deaths of eleven girls, boys and adolescents, three of whom were underage, in traffic accidents.
Honduras, considered one of the most violent countries in the world, high violent death rates Without living in combat, he records an average of ten to twelve murders per day. Violent deaths in the country are largely attributed to organized crime and gangs known as ‘maras’ who fight over the regions for retail drug trafficking and blackmail. One of the contributing factors to the violence in Honduras is high impunityAdded to these are the evolution of criminal gangs, according to authorities and human rights organizations.