Prosecutors in Guatemala are working to combat high rates of sexual violence against young girls by family members. Guatemala’s human rights ombudsman reported that in 2012, nearly ninety-percent of pregnancies among girls under the age of 14 were the result of rape by fathers, uncles, or cousins. Very few perpetrators were successfully convicted. Prosecutors told Reuters that they would like to help girls stay in the family home, rather than being forced into government care. They also hope to pursue more successful rape convictions against perpetrators.
Compiled from: Moloney, Anastasia, Fathers Rape with Impunity, Increasing Guatemala’s Teen Pregnancies, Reuters (October 2, 2015).