'Monstero de Chiclayo': 15 minors are victims of rape a day in Peru, according to the Ministry of Women

Juan Antonio Enríquez García is the 'Chiclayo Monster'. He is 48 years old and will do what he has left in jail. If the law is enforced, he shall be sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping, torturing and raping a three-year-old girl.

This case has generated the repudiation of the Peruvian population, but, unfortunately, it is not the only one. In the San Martín region, the Peruvian National Police arrested during Easter a subject accused of sexually abusing and murdering a minor aged one year and 8 months. The aggressor was the boy's stepfather.

A few days ago, the resumption of face-to-face classes was tainted by Gian Barrios, who was accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy in a school in Comas.

If we go further back in time, we will find more cases of sexual abuse of children and adolescents in Peru. However, only the tip of the iceberg is known. According to statistics from the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP), more than 21,000 minors have been victims of rape in the last four years. That is, every day, 15 minors are abused in Peru.

Also, today, there are 10,104 prisoners registered in the country's prisons for sexual rape of minors. After the aggravated robbery, this is the crime with the most inmates.

In a dialogue with El Comercio, Liz Meléndez, director of the Flora Tristán Peruvian Women's Center, said it is essential to follow up on people who have been accused of street harassment, touching or harassment to prevent them from reoffending.

“Every aggressor who goes unpunished is a danger to other women and girls. Hardly the 3-year-old girl was Enríquez García's first victim, there were possibly other manifestations of violence that were not reported. That's why it's important not to minimize any form of violence, they all represent a risk,” he explains.

Meléndez also considered that no person with a history of sexual violence should work in schools, state institutions or private settings involving minors. “What about those who serve their sentences of 4 or 5 years? , what about the one denounced by street touching?” , he said.

With regard to the case of the 'Chiclayo Monster', Meléndez indicated that it is now necessary for the prosecution to act swiftly to prevent the case from prolonging and expiring the preventive measure.

“There is deep citizen outrage, not only at the specific case, but because of the feeling that this goes unpunished because we have become accustomed to having a State that does not respond adequately,” he says.

Lastly, beyond guaranteeing a clélere sanction, the specialist points out that it is the State that has the obligation to prevent and prevent more children being violated.

CHEMICAL CASTRATION FOR RAPISTS

The Peruvian Government is considering implementing chemical castration for rapists of minors, adolescents and women, President Pedro Castillo announced, following the case of Juan Antonio Enríquez García, the 'Chiclayo Monster'.

“Enough of so much violence, crimes of sexual violence against children will not be tolerated by this government, nor will they go unpunished. The pain of this family is also ours, I am outraged by such cruelty,” he said.

The head of state assured that after what happened in Chiclayo, more extreme measures must be taken and added that sexual abuse against minors will not go unpunished, therefore, multisectorial work must be done to prevent and eradicate violations against children.

“This atrocious and inhumane fact leads us to enormous reflection as a country to adopt stricter state public policies that safeguard the human rights of the most defenseless of our children, and chemical castration is an option, we cannot wait any longer,” he said.

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