J. Violations of the right to life and sexual orientation
90. In her report to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth session, the Special Rapporteur expressed her concern at continuing reports of persons having been killed purely because of their sexual orientation. She noted that owing to the widespread social stigmatization of persons belonging to sexual minorities, violent acts directed against them were more likely to be committed in a climate of impunity. While preparing for her mission, the Special Rapporteur was informed of a number of cases in which homosexual men had been killed in Mexico. It was reported that the authorities had dealt with these crimes in ways that allowed them to be committed with impunity. In Mexico City she was further briefed on the subject by the NGO Citizens’ Commission against Homophobic Hate Crimes (Comision Ciudadana contra los Crímines de Odio por Homofobia).
91. According to information provided by this organization, in the period January 1995 – May 1997, at least 125 persons were murdered because of their sexual orientation, 120 of them men. Sixty-five of the cases were reported to have occurred in the capital alone. It appears that the majority of the victims were killed in an extremely violent and brutal way: their bodies were often found naked with hands and feet tied and with signs of torture, stabbing, strangulation or mutilation. Concern was also expressed that the prejudiced attitude of the authorities, together with tendentious media reports, had contributed to an atmosphere of impunity and indifference about crimes directed against members of sexual minorities.
92. The Special Rapporteur brought these concerns to the notice of the authorities and the Human Rights Commission of the Federal District. They claimed that the authorities did not discriminate against anyone on the ground of sexual orientation in the matter of investigation or in bringing the perpetrators of crimes to justice.{{68}}
[[68]] Please note that the information mentioned in the mission to Mexico report of the Special Rapporteur is also referred to in the annual report to the Commission on Human Rights of the Special Rapporteur E/CN.4/2000/3, January 25, 2000, para. 56.[[68]]
link to the full text of the Mission report: http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/279cc044f027da6580256887004fa59e