Dominican Republic femicides leave 77 children orphaned in 2026

Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso has reported that approximately 77 children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic have been left without both parents as a direct consequence of femicides recorded so far in 2026.

The Public Ministry has documented 59 femicides in the country. In 36 of these instances, the alleged aggressor was the victim's current partner, while in 18 cases, the perpetrator was an ex-partner. The resulting orphanhood is attributed to the fact that in most cases, the mother was murdered and the father was either deceased or taken into custody.

Reynoso highlighted a concerning trend: approximately 89% of the female victims had not filed a formal complaint before their deaths. This lack of prior reporting suggests significant difficulties in accessing institutional protection mechanisms before violence escalates to a fatal outcome.