A total of 425 cases of sexual harassment and abuse in primary schools have been detected during 2023 and up to the end of September of this year in Baja California.
According to figures from the Baja California educational system, these are cases detected within preschool, primary and secondary schools, but not all of them originated within a school.
Of the total, 314 cases were students who reported to a teacher or administrator that they were suffering from sexual abuse from their homes or from a family member or acquaintance.
Cases of abuse, without a care protocol in Baja California
The remaining 111 were due to abuse detected and originated within schools, mostly by another student.
Tijuana leads the statistics with the highest number of cases of sexual abuse inside and outside schools, with 143 cases originating outside, and 51 within educational institutions.
In second place is Mexicali, with 91 cases attended to that came from abuse from outside and 43 generated within the schools.
REMOVED FROM FUNCTIONS
According to state data, 5 people have been removed from the schools related to sexual abuse of students, these being 1 in Mexicali, 3 in Tijuana and 1 in Ensenada.
But in addition, 19 people from the educational institutions were detected as involved, these being 8 in Mexicali, 9 in Tijuana, 1 in Tecate, and 1 in Ensenada.
The Secretary of Education, Luis Gallego Cortez, explained that when they detect a case of sexual abuse, the educational protocol must be activated immediately, which includes reporting to 911 and to the corresponding authorities.
She also highlighted that children and adolescents are having more confidence in approaching their teachers or administrative staff to tell about the sexual abuse they are suffering outside.
FIGURES
According to the figures, 143 minors who reported their situation were attended to in Tijuana, being the state with the highest number of cases of attention.
Followed by Mexicali with 91 registered cases of abuse outside of schools, followed by Ensenada with 26, Tecate with 21, San Quintín with 16 cases, Playas de Rosarito with 14, and San Felipe with 3 students.
Judge who granted protection to alleged sexual abuser held an intermediate hearing
There are also numbers of abuses in the interior, with Tijuana leading the way with 51 cases, followed by Mexicali with 43, Playas de Rosarito and Tecate with 5 in each municipality, Ensenada 4 and San Quintín with 3, where it is highlighted that San Felipe does not have this type of situation.
When asked specifically about the exact number of teachers involved in the interior, the secretary of education limited himself to pointing out that the majority are abuses carried out among students and in a smaller percentage by their teachers or administrative staff.
In Mexicali, relevant and media cases of sexual harassment or abuse have been reported, such as in the Leona Vicario elementary school where a teacher was accused of touching several of his students, and the situation spread to two different schools.
Another is the current process of the Kim case, in a preschool, where an administrative worker is accused, but the State Attorney General’s Office has not reached any conclusions.
Source: lavozdelafrontera
