Indigenous women victims of sexual violence, tortured by Mexican Army

When President Calderon began his “war on drugs” in 2006, Mexico began to increase the military’s presence throughout the entire country, including Indigenous communities that were not previously consulted about the militarization of their territory. Since then, this militarization policy that has continued under subsequent administrations, the number of serious human rights violations has dramatically increased in Mexico.

This case relates to the sexual assault, torture, and subsequent death of 73-year-old Nahua Indigenous woman Ernestina Rosario Ascencio, by members of the Mexican army on February 25, 2007, in the Sierra of Zongolica in Veracruz. Her attack was worsened by the State’s lack of adequate and timely medical care that could have saved Ernestina’s life. But the case is also about the lengths to which the Government went to try to cover up and protect the perpetrators and all the suffering caused to Ernestina’s family members and community.

Why is this a key case?

Indigenous women in Mexico continue to face severe repercussions from the country's militarization policies, including gender-based violence. Numerous instances of abuse remain in impunity, driven by the government's desire to conceal these atrocities. The case of Mrs. Ernestina serves as a stark illustration not only of the violence that Indigenous women have endured for decades but also of the discrimination that plagues Indigenous peoples when trying to access basic services and healthcare or try to seek justice in Mexico.

How is RFK Human Rights supporting this case?

In July 2023, RFK Human Rights joined four Mexican-based organizations that have been representing Mrs. Ernestina’s family in their quest for truth and justice in Mexico and before the Inter-American Human Rights System.

What is the status of the case?

The case was referred by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in July 2023. It is currently being reviewed by the Court, and will have a public hearing in the near future.