Bárbara Italia Méndez was detained on 4 May 2006 during protests in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico State. Police officers beat her, threatened her and sexually assaulted her. Bárbara Italia Méndez testifies that members of the Federal Preventive Police (Policía Federal Preventiva, PFP) arrested her without explanation. They pulled her hair, forced her to squat down and began to beat her, leaving her with head injuries and multiple bruising. With her shirt pulled over her head, she was then forced into a state police vehicle and made to lie on top of other detainees. During the journey to a state prison, she was beaten, threatened, sexually assaulted and raped by members of the state police, who were cheered on by colleagues.

Once in prison, an official with the State Public Prosecutor’s Office refused to register her complaint about the abuse she suffered and no proper medical examination was carried out. She was released on bail shortly afterwards and charged with “attacks on public roads and means of transport”. These charges have now been dropped.

Background Information

Security forces arrested 206 people during the protests on 3 and 4 May in San Salvador Atenco, 47 of whom were women. In total, 26 women made complaints to the authorities – as well as to national and international human rights organizations – of physical, psychological and sexual violence by the police officers who arrested them. Only six officials have been prosecuted by state authorities for minor criminal offences in connection with the police operations. A federal investigation has also failed to press charges against those responsible. As a result, six of the women have presented a complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is considering the case.

Recommended Action

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO ARRIVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH OR YOUR OWN LANGUAGE :

• Asking the federal authorities for a full and impartial investigation of those involved in the rape, sexual violence, torture and ill-treatment of Bárbara Italia Méndez and the other female detainees.
• Calling for all the perpetrators to be brought to justice, including the senior officials who failed to prevent these human rights violations or carry out timely investigations.

(You could also write a message of support to Bárbara Italia Méndez)

Address To:

Attorney General of the Republic
Lic. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza
Procurador General de la República
Procuraduría General de la República
Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Piso 16
Col. Cuauhtémoc, Delegación Cuauhtémoc
México D.F., C.P. 06500, México
Fax: +52 55 5346 0908 (if someone answers please say “me da tono de fax, por favor”)
Salutation: Señor Procurador General / Dear Attorney General

Sample Letter

To help you out, we have included a sample letter which you are free to download here and send.

Write a Message of Support

Querida Bárbara,
Te apoyamos en la lucha digna por la justicia por todas las mujeres que sufrieron abusos en San Salvador Atenco. Esperamos que pronto las autoridades reconozcan su responsabilidad tanto por los hechos como por la impunidad y que pronto se haga justicia.

(Dear Barbara, we support your fight for justice for all the women who suffered abuses in San Salvador Atenco. We hope the authorities will soon recognize their responsibility for what happened, and for the impunity, and that justice is soon done.)

Address To:
Bárbara Italia Méndez
c/o: Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel
Agustín Pro Juárez Serapio Rendón no.57/B
Col. San Rafael
C.P. 06470
México D.F.
México