Chiapas authorities rescue child found chained in Ocosingo

Authorities in Ocosingo, Chiapas, have rescued an 8-year-old boy who was being kept in chains as punishment. The child was reportedly shackled with a chain and padlock on his ankle for approximately 15 days because his parents considered him ‘hyperactive’ or ‘restless.’

Upon intervention, the Municipal DIF of Ocosingo and the Procuraduría de Protección de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes found the child suffering from poor hygiene and inadequate nutrition. The minor is currently under institutional protection and receiving medical and psychological evaluations.

The case has sparked significant controversy regarding local governance. A resident, Fernando Velázquez Gómez, was detained by community authorities in the Abasolo community for sharing images of the abuse to seek help, an action reportedly taken under the community’s internal normative system of ‘uses and customs.’ The State Human Rights Commission of Chiapas has opened an investigation into Velázquez’s detention.