Between January 2021 and the same month of this year 2023, the Ecuadorian prosecutor’s office initiated 456 processes for femicide. 52.9% of them are in the stage of preliminary investigation (241); 14% of the cases received an indictment (64) and are still awaiting a decision.

11.4% of the process ended with a guilty verdict, which represents 52 of the 456 murdered women whose crimes fall under the criminal offense of femicide.

The state court insists on the work of the inter-institutional security table

The killing of women due to gender hatred was classified as femicide on August 10, 2014. Article 141 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP) states: “A person who, as a result of a power relationship manifested in any type of violence, kills a woman because of the fact that she is a woman or because of his sexual condition, he will be sentenced to imprisonment from 22 to 23. Article 142 lists four aggravating circumstances that would lead to the maximum sentence.

Most of the cases that have been charged in the country remain unjudged, despite the stories of pain which are reproduced in the media, social networks or counted in marches organized by relatives or various non-governmental organizations.

Police reports were not submitted on time, the prosecutor’s office reported on the release of detainees for extortion and other crimes in Quito

The argument is that in some cases it is not possible to determine those responsible for the crime or judicial officials cannot prove their guilt.

A poor excuse for a society that fought to classify the crime of femicide and punish the guilty. If the killers do not feel the force of the law – in the punishments – the legal body does not fulfill its function of deterrence and cases continue to appear, some more in the media than others due to the conditions in which the crimes were committed, but all leave a mark, despite their helplessness. Those who administer justice must redouble their efforts so that impunity is not a part of everyday life.

Minors who are recruited by criminal groups: At what age do criminal activities begin?

The figures for now are completed by ten cases in which dismissal was determined (2.2%). They remained in the appeal phase until the trial (5%), were archived (3.3%), in the tax investigation (2.6%), received a reserved opinion (3.9%) and 4.6% are in other phases. (OR)