With a steadfast commitment to strengthening the support, investigation, and criminal prosecution of offenses affecting women, girls, and adolescents, the First International Legal Congress on Violence Against Women and Sexual Crimes officially began today. The event is organized by the Public Ministry of Guatemala through the Women’s Secretariat and the Training Unit (Unicap), with the support of the Executive Secretariat of the Coordinating Instance for the Modernization of the Justice Sector and the NGO El Refugio de la Niñez.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony was attended by Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta, Attorney General of the Republic and Chief of the Public Ministry; Mrs. Lucrecia Varinia Vásquez Abadía, Secretary for Women; and Mr. Sergio Raúl Ortiz Herrera, Director of Unicap.

In their remarks, the speakers emphasized the importance of promoting the exchange of strategies, experiences, and interinstitutional best practices to uphold the human rights of victims, guided by the principles of due diligence, a gender-sensitive approach, cultural relevance, and international standards.

Keynote Address

The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Rodrigo Jiménez Sandoval, an international human rights consultant, who presented on:
«Violence Against Women and Sexual Crimes from a Gender, Cultural, and Linguistic Perspective, in Accordance with Due Diligence in Criminal Investigation and Prosecution.»

Topics Addressed

During the first day, national and international experts with extensive experience shared knowledge and insights on the following key issues:

• The «Esperanza para Mayaland» Case, Playa Grande-Ixcán, Quiché: Due diligence, victim-focused care, and criminal investigation and prosecution during the first 24 hours.
• The Importance of Due Diligence in Investigations: Developing investigation plans with a gender and intersectional perspective, context analysis, victim-centered testimony, and comprehensive, dignified, and transformative reparations.
• Panel Discussion: Challenges in the criminal investigation and prosecution of violence against women.
• Profiles of Sexual Offenders.
• Models of Comprehensive Victim Care: Their relevance in investigative and prosecutorial processes related to violence against women and sexual crimes.

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Participants

This congress is aimed at prosecutorial and technical staff from the Prosecutor’s Offices for Women; Children and Adolescents; Femicide; and Human Trafficking, as well as personnel from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Directorate of Criminal Analysis, among other units.

Institutional Commitment

Through this initiative, the Public Ministry seeks to strengthen the technical competencies of its personnel, promote practical learning processes, and standardize investigative and support criteria to ensure more effective, sensitive, and gender- and intersectionality-focused criminal procedures.

The Congress will run for two days, concluding on Thursday, August 21, with additional presentations and exchanges designed to enrich professional knowledge and reaffirm the institutional commitment to combating violence against women and sexual crimes.

Guatemala, August 20, 2025