Amnesty International reports on sexual torture of women in Mexico

Claudia Medina Tamariz was asleep in her home in the Gulf coast port of Veracruz with her husband when Mexican marines burst in and arrested them both in August 2012.

Blindfolded and handcuffed, Medina believes she was taken to a local navy base where her captors accused her of working with organized crime. Over a period of hours, she says, she was beaten, sexually assaulted, jolted with electric shocks and subjected to simulated drowning – two independent medical examinations found evidence consistent with her version. She was forced to bathe in front of her captors.

Eventually Medina and others were paraded in front of television cameras along with weapons and drugs and slapped with a raft of organized crime charges. Later she discovered that the statement she gave, but was not shown before signing, had been altered into a confession in which the marines said they arrested Medina and her husband when they were caught driving a vehicle with weapons and drugs.

“The authorities when they exhibit you do it with the purpose of keeping you quiet as a woman,” Medina said Monday. “They know how to injure you as a woman.”

The human rights group Amnesty International says Medina’s experience is common among women arrested in Mexico. In a report released early Tuesday, the group said that in interviews with 100 incarcerated Mexican women, 72 reported sexual torture during their arrests. Ninety-seven had been beaten or received some kind of physical abuse. All 100 reported at least harassment or psychological abuse.

“What we see is that women are often targeted because of their gender, their bodies are often used in a certain way and targeted in a certain way, and we often see women from disadvantaged backgrounds are the ones that are the easiest targets for authorities,” said Madeleine Penman, a researcher with Amnesty International.

Amnesty International showed the report to the government Monday, but the Attorney General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press before the paper was released.

Penman said Amnesty International decided to focus a report on female survivors of sexual torture because it had not received much attention. She said researchers would have liked to interview even more women, but Mexican authorities placed obstacles in their way.

Much of the abuse has been tied to Mexico’s war against drug cartels, with women often being swept up when authorities arrest men or are simply looking to show results to the public, the report said.

It said the sexual nature of the torture and the stigma makes it less likely women will speak out.

Medina, a mother of three children who had worked selling natural products, is free and isn’t one of the 100 women interviewed for the report. But she and the group said her experience mirrored those collected in the report.

When the marines turned Medina over to federal investigators, she initially did not tell about the torture. “I was scared, because they had threatened that if I talked about what had happened during those 36 hours they would find my children,” she said.

But the day after she was taken to a women’s prison Medina told a judge that she had been tortured. Three days later the judge threw out the most serious organized crime charge.

After 23 days in prison, Medina was able to get bond and fight her case. All but one of the charges -weapons possession – were tossed out. She filed a complaint with Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission about her treatment and began speaking out, but to date the body has had not published a recommendation in the case.

A year and a half after her arrest, prosecutors issued a new arrest warrant for Medina listing all the old charges. She saw it as a clear threat and message to stay silent. After another year of challenges, a judge exonerated Medina of all charges.

Her husband remains imprisoned awaiting a judge’s ruling on his charges.

“I consider it already routine for military authorities,” Medina said of the use of torture and other abuse. “I have always said I feel like (torture) is like a cancer that is growing and growing and growing.”

Amnesty International’s report points out that Mexican lawmakers are debating new torture legislation and the Attorney General’s Office has created a special unit to investigate torture. But of thousands of complaints of torture since 1991, only 15 have resulted in federal criminal convictions.

Claudia Medina Tamariz was asleep in her home in the Gulf coast port of Veracruz with her husband when Mexican marines burst in and arrested . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-landslide-hurricane-erickHeavy rains flood Puerto Vallarta streets and trigger landslide in tunnel Flooding from remnants of Hurricane Erick paralyzed key roads in Puerto Vallarta and caused a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio tunnel, Civil Protection continues damage assessment. The city of Puerto Vallarta was overwhelmed Thursday night by heavy rainfall that caused major flooding, stranded vehicles, and triggered a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass…
  • tropical-storm-erick-warnings-mexico-coastHurricane Erick will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Erick Puerto Vallarta will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta by Friday but poses no risk to the northern coast of Jalisco. Meteorologist Víctor Manuel Cornejo López, of the Civil Protection scientific committee for the Bay, reports that Hurricane Erick will deliver significant rainfall to Puerto Vallarta without threatening the region’s safety. According to…
  • huracan-erick-2025-mexico-peligroHurricane Erick Becomes Eastern Pacific’s Strongest Cyclone of 2025, Eyes Mexico’s Southwest Coast Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified off Mexico’s Pacific coast, becoming the second hurricane of the 2025 season and threatening southwestern Mexico with dangerous wind, rain, and storm surge. This story is available in Spanish: El huracán Erick se fortalece rápidamente y amenaza la costa suroeste de México The 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season continues to surge…
  • hurricane erick damagePuerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional suffer severe damage from Hurricane Erick (VIDEO) Hurricane Erick caused widespread destruction in Oaxaca's coastal towns, including Puerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional, with downed power lines, flooding, and road closures. Oaxaca’s southern coast is reeling after Hurricane Erick made landfall early Thursday morning, slamming into Santiago Pinotepa Nacional at 5:30 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour. Although the…
  • Arrivals at Puerto Vallarta airport increases nearly 50 in JanuaryAirlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta Airlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and more due to Hurricane Erick. Flexible travel policies are now in place. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco — Travelers passing through Puerto Vallarta International Airport and other major airports across Mexico may experience delays or cancellations due to the ongoing effects of…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-first-storm-2025Puerto Vallarta hit by flooding, fallen trees, and damaged roads after first storm of the season Heavy rain and a nighttime storm caused widespread flooding, road closures, and downed trees in Puerto Vallarta. Several key roads remain impassable. PUERTO VALLARTA — The first major storm of the rainy season swept through Puerto Vallarta overnight, leaving behind extensive damage across the city, including widespread flooding, blocked roads, and fallen trees. By morning,…
  • sargassum-free-beaches-quintana-roo-summer-2025Sargassum-Free Beaches in Quintana Roo for Summer 2025, including beaches in Cancún Travelers looking for sargassum-free beaches in Quintana Roo this summer can still find clear waters in Isla Mujeres and parts of Cancún, according to updated reports. As the summer travel season ramps up, much of the Caribbean coast is once again dealing with sargassum, the brown seaweed that washes ashore in thick mats and affects…
  • Know your consumer rights in Mexico Is it legal for restaurants to include the tipPuerto Vallarta restaurants face 33 percent staff shortage Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta face a 33% staffing shortfall as they prepare for a busy summer holiday season, aiming to boost sales by up to 60% despite ongoing labor challenges. As Puerto Vallarta prepares to welcome a surge of summer tourists, the city’s restaurant sector is grappling with a serious staffing problem—operating with roughly one-third…
  • erick cat oneHurricane Erik downgraded to Category 1 after leaving damage in southern Mexico Hurricane Erick, now a Category 1 storm, hit southern Mexico with heavy rains and high winds, affecting multiple states. Authorities report flooding, evacuations, and infrastructure damage. Hurricane Erick made landfall early this morning and has since been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN). The storm is bringing intense…
Scroll to Top