In January 2023, Honduras recorded at least 57 deaths of girls, boys, adolescents, and young people attributed to violence. Data released by the Network of Child Rights Agencies (Coiproden) show a rise of 9.6 percent from the same month in 2022. Of the 57 young people killed in the first month of 2023, a majority were male, accounting for 44 cases or 77 percent, while 13 cases, about 23 percent, involved females. These figures underscore a troubling pattern of violence affecting youth across the country.
Compared with January 2022, the mortality figure increased by five cases, from 52. Coiproden stresses that the prevalence among victims skews older for the cohort defined as children and youth, with about 70 percent aged 19 to 30 and roughly 30 percent under 18. The NGO highlights the concentration of fatalities in particular age groups, signaling the need for targeted protection and prevention measures for late adolescence and early adulthood.
Geographically, the central and northern departments of Francisco Morazán, Cortés, and Yoro registered the highest homicide rates among children, adolescents, and youth in January. The statistics indicate 14 deaths in Francisco Morazán, 10 in Cortés, and 8 in Yoro, illustrating regional disparities that correlate with patterns of crime and organized violence across the country. These concentrations are cited by Coiproden as a call to action for regional and national authorities to address safety and rights protections with urgency.
In response to these alarming numbers, Coiproden urged Honduran president Xiomara Castro to convene the National Council of Child and Adolescent Rights Guarantees (Sigadenah). The organization also noted that ratification of the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child remains a matter for the Honduran Parliament. In a separate but related concern, the council condemned the deaths of eleven girls, boys, and adolescents in traffic incidents, including three underage victims, highlighting traffic safety as another critical area for child protection and public policy reform.
Honduras is frequently described as one of the more violent countries in the world, with high violent death rates even outside of armed conflict. Local observers note an average of ten to twelve homicides per day, reflecting a state of persistent insecurity. Violent deaths in the country are largely attributed to organized crime and gangs commonly known as maras, which contend for territorial control and lucrative activities such as drug distribution and extortion. Analysts point to the role of entrenched impunity as a key factor that enables ongoing violence, alongside evolving criminal networks and the continuing challenge of crime prevention within communities and institutions. The nexus of these issues—impunity, gang rivalry, and limited access to effective protection for youth—forms a complex landscape for policymakers, civil society, and international partners seeking to reduce violence and safeguard young lives. In this context, organizations and government bodies are urged to strengthen legal frameworks, improve enforcement, and invest in prevention initiatives that address the root causes of youth vulnerability and exploitation, including poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and limited safe spaces for young people to thrive. (Coiproden, 2023; attribution)