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Mexico Launches National Plan to Harmonize Sexual Abuse Laws and Classify the Crime as Grave

The strategy seeks uniform penalties across states by coordinating with local legislatures to speed reporting and strengthen victim support.

Overview

  • Federal Women’s Secretary Citlalli Hernández unveiled the Plan Integral contra el Abuso Sexual during the Nov. 6 morning briefing, framing it as a nationwide legal and cultural reform effort.
  • The government’s diagnostic found uneven state statutes: 19 states meet advanced criteria with clear aggravators, nine have weak aggravation, and four lack a clear definition of sexual abuse.
  • Article 260 of the Federal Penal Code is the harmonization baseline, setting 6–10 years in prison and fines of up to 200 days, with harsher penalties when violence or vulnerability is involved.
  • A coordination session with state congressional gender commissions is set for Nov. 13, with initial results and national awareness campaigns slated for Nov. 25.
  • The plan includes faster complaint protocols, training for prosecutors and judges, strengthened 079 hotline procedures, and prevention measures in public spaces and transport; the initiative follows a recent harassment incident involving President Claudia Sheinbaum, after which the alleged aggressor was arrested.