Join Disability Rights International at 1 PM EST on October 26 for a live event to launch our newest report, Crimes Against Humanity: Decades of Violence and Abuse in Mexican Institutions for Children and Adults with Disabilities
Register on Zoom here
Spanish-to-English translation, captioning, and sign language provided
Speakers:
Eric Rosenthal, Executive Director, DRI
Priscila Rodriguez, Associate Director for Advocacy, DRI
Lisbet Brizuela, DRI Mexico Director
Katia D'Artigues, journalist and co-founder, "Yo Tambien"
Juan Martin Perez, Executive Director, REDIM
Amalia Gamio, Rapporteur, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Juan E. Mendez, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
Felipe Orozco, self-advocate
Eduardo Verduzco, survivor of "La Gran Familia"
Mexico City, October 26, 2020 - Disability Rights International (DRI) releases a report today, detailing the grave human rights violations which children and adults with disabilities are subjected to in Mexico's institutions, orphanages, group homes and other congregate care settings throughout the country.
DRI investigations found physical and sexual abuse, physical and chemical restraints and forced sterilizations. The conditions in the institutions are inhuman and degrading and the risk of death is high. DRI reports that people with disabilities are segregated for life in these facilities simply because they have a disability.
“Mexico has failed to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. DRI has documented severe abuses towards persons with disabilities living in institutions since 2000. Unfortunately, we can only conclude that nothing has changed.” Lisbet Brizuela, Director for Mexico, DRI
The culture of impunity that permeates the country allows for ongoing abuse, and egregious human rights violations, to be perpetrated against children and adults with disabilities living in institutions. Abusers are not held responsible and government authorities fail to respond to known human rights offenses. Additionally, the government of Mexico does not know the number of institutions in the country and how many people are in them. Unlicensed facilities operate with no regulation or monitoring.
“The grave human rights violations to which thousands of people with disabilities are subjected in the institutions not only demonstrate the culture of impunity for human rights perpetrators but something more: the intentional and knowing perpetuation of practices with such severity and on such a scale that amounts to crimes against humanity.” Eric Rosenthal, Executive Director, DRI