Condorcanqui indigenous communities face sexual violence crisis

Indigenous organizations and human rights groups have raised alarms regarding widespread sexual violence against children in the Awajún and Wampis communities within the Condorcanqui province of the Peruvian Amazon. Reports indicate more than one thousand cases of sexual aggression against minors in the region.

A critical health dimension of this crisis involves the transmission of HIV; reports highlight cases of children as young as three years old living with the virus, allegedly due to sexual abuse. Data shows that HIV cases in Condorcanqui rose from 43 in 2014 to 340 in 2024.

Human rights defenders and the Peruvian Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) have identified significant institutional failures, including difficulties in accessing justice, medical care, and language barriers. Between 2010 and 2024, the Ombudsman's Office documented 524 complaints of alleged sexual violence against indigenous students attributed to teachers.

A delegation from the Mechanism for Following the Implementation of the Convention of Belém do Pará, linked to the Organization of American States (OAS), recently visited the area to evaluate the state's response. In response to the crisis, Peruvian authorities have announced plans to strengthen victim protection through a new ombudsman module in Condorcanqui and a specialized judicial system.