El Salvador judicial system accused of protecting magistrate accused of child abuse

An investigation by Revista Factum and La Sala, Mujeres en la Redacción, highlights the systemic invisibility and vulnerability of girls in El Salvador. The report notes that girls are increasingly omitted from new public school textbooks and face diminishing access to sexual education. Furthermore, reductions in basic health budgets have contributed to higher rates of adolescent pregnancy and school dropout.

The investigation details a specific case of sexual abuse involving a 10-year-old girl in Tonacatepeque, San Salvador. The alleged aggressor was identified as Jaime Eduardo Escalante, a magistrate of the Third Civil Chamber of San Salvador. Despite the nature of the crime, the Salvadoran Supreme Court of Justice did not suspend Escalante from his duties. Instead, nine magistrates voted to grant him a 60-day leave of absence, a decision that critics argue protected the official and bypassed judicial career laws intended to address misconduct that causes social scandal or endangers the administration of justice.