Honduras
29.05.01
Urgent Interventions
Honduras: rape and murder of two teenage street girls in Tegucigalpa
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN/CHILD CONCERN
CASE HND 280501.VAW.CC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Casa Alianza, a member of the OMCT network, of the rape and murder of two teenage street girls in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
According to the information received, the bodies of the two girls, 14 year old Cinthia Valeska Rivera and her 15 year old friend Wendy (surname unknown), were discovered on Wednesday 23 May on the "El Estiquirin" hill in Comayaguela, a suburb of Tegucigalpa.
Cinthia and Wendy were last seen alive on the evening of Sunday 20 May. At approximately 6.30 pm, Cinthia, who was living in temporary accommodation constructed for the victims of hurricane Mitch more than two and a half years ago, left home with Wendy and another friend known as "El Trueno", a member of the 18th Street gang.
More than 720 children and youth were murdered in Honduras in the period January 1998- May 2001. Despite repeated requests to the President of Honduras to urgently address this situation, according to information received no action has been taken in over 60 % of these cases.
OMCT is gravely concerned that the authorities in Honduras will not exercise due diligence in the investigation, prosecution and punishment of the persons responsible for the rape and murder of Cinthia and Wendy. More generally, OMCT believes that the government must take urgent action to protect street children in Honduras from all forms of violence.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. Take all necessary measures to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for the rape and murder of Cinthia Valeska Rivera and her friend Wendy;
ii. Ensure that all street children and youths in Honduras are protected by the authorities and that cases of violence against children and youths are investigated, prosecuted and punished with due diligence;
iii. Guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national law, regional and international human rights standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Addresses
- Ingeniero CARLOS FLORES FACUSSÉ, Presidente Constitucional de la República de Honduras,
Casa Presidencial, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-235-69-49, e-mail: law_bureau@hotmail.com
- Profesor RAFAEL PINEDA PONCE, Presidente del Congreso Nacional,
Palacio Legislativo, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-238-6048
- Abogado MIGUEL ANGEL RIVERA PORTILLO, Presidente Corte Suprema de Justicia,
Palacio Judicial
Fax: +504-233-7921
- Doctor LEO VALLADARES LANZA, Comisionado Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Fax: +504-221-0536, e-mail: lvalladares@cablecolor.hn
- Señor CARLOS ARMANDO ZELAYA ROSALES, Comisión Ordinaria de Derechos Humanos del Congreso Nacional
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-238-6048
- Lic OCTAVIO SOLOMON NUÑEZ, Director de la Oficina de Derechos Humanos, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Edificio Principal, Colonia Miraflores, Boulevard de las Fuerzas Armadas, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Fax: (+504) 235 62 43; e-mail: dhumanos@sre.hn.
Please also write to the embassy of Honduras in your country.
Geneva, 28 May, 2001
Please inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
CASE HND 280501.VAW.CC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Casa Alianza, a member of the OMCT network, of the rape and murder of two teenage street girls in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
According to the information received, the bodies of the two girls, 14 year old Cinthia Valeska Rivera and her 15 year old friend Wendy (surname unknown), were discovered on Wednesday 23 May on the "El Estiquirin" hill in Comayaguela, a suburb of Tegucigalpa.
Cinthia and Wendy were last seen alive on the evening of Sunday 20 May. At approximately 6.30 pm, Cinthia, who was living in temporary accommodation constructed for the victims of hurricane Mitch more than two and a half years ago, left home with Wendy and another friend known as "El Trueno", a member of the 18th Street gang.
More than 720 children and youth were murdered in Honduras in the period January 1998- May 2001. Despite repeated requests to the President of Honduras to urgently address this situation, according to information received no action has been taken in over 60 % of these cases.
OMCT is gravely concerned that the authorities in Honduras will not exercise due diligence in the investigation, prosecution and punishment of the persons responsible for the rape and murder of Cinthia and Wendy. More generally, OMCT believes that the government must take urgent action to protect street children in Honduras from all forms of violence.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. Take all necessary measures to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for the rape and murder of Cinthia Valeska Rivera and her friend Wendy;
ii. Ensure that all street children and youths in Honduras are protected by the authorities and that cases of violence against children and youths are investigated, prosecuted and punished with due diligence;
iii. Guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national law, regional and international human rights standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Addresses
- Ingeniero CARLOS FLORES FACUSSÉ, Presidente Constitucional de la República de Honduras,
Casa Presidencial, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-235-69-49, e-mail: law_bureau@hotmail.com
- Profesor RAFAEL PINEDA PONCE, Presidente del Congreso Nacional,
Palacio Legislativo, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-238-6048
- Abogado MIGUEL ANGEL RIVERA PORTILLO, Presidente Corte Suprema de Justicia,
Palacio Judicial
Fax: +504-233-7921
- Doctor LEO VALLADARES LANZA, Comisionado Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Fax: +504-221-0536, e-mail: lvalladares@cablecolor.hn
- Señor CARLOS ARMANDO ZELAYA ROSALES, Comisión Ordinaria de Derechos Humanos del Congreso Nacional
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: +504-238-6048
- Lic OCTAVIO SOLOMON NUÑEZ, Director de la Oficina de Derechos Humanos, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Edificio Principal, Colonia Miraflores, Boulevard de las Fuerzas Armadas, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Fax: (+504) 235 62 43; e-mail: dhumanos@sre.hn.
Please also write to the embassy of Honduras in your country.
Geneva, 28 May, 2001
Please inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.