Mexico: Current services provided to rape victims by the Catholic Church in Mexico City
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MEX33677.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: Current services provided to rape victims by the Catholic Church in Mexico City, 1 February 2000, MEX33677.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad5634.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 1 February 2000 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the Deputy Secretary (Secretario Adjunto) at the Bishop's Conference in Mexico City (Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano, CEM) stated that the Catholic Church offers support services to women who have been victims of sexual violence, be it in a domestic or non-domestic setting, in Mexico City. According to the Deputy Secretary, these services are provided by the Episcopal Commissions of Social Pastoral and Family Pastoral (Comisiones Episcopales de Pastoral Social y de Pastoral Familiar) and include, among other services, psychological and legal counselling, and access to lawyers. These commissions handle cases of sexual violence on a case by case basis and assess the respective needs of the victims (ibid.). The Deputy Secretary added that if requested, the Church could try to find a safe refuge for the victim in either a religious facility or in a home of a layperson.
Addresses and phone numbers for the CEM can be found on the organization's Website at
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano (CEM), Mexico City. 1 February 2000. Telephone interview with the Deputy Secretary.
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1999.
Latin American Regional Reports: Mexico and NAFTA Report [London]. 1999.
LEXIS/NEXIS
Mexico NewsPak [Austin]. 1999-2000.
World News Connection (WNC)
Internet sites including:
Comisión Episcopal Mexicano (CEM)
La Jornada [Mexico City]. Search Engine. 1998-2000.
Search Engines including:
Fast Search
