Mexico children's home: Probe into previous abuse claims

BBC News Latin America and the Caribbean

The Mexican Attorney General’s office is opening up an investigation into previous abuse allegations brought against a children’s home in Zamora, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. The ‘House of the Big Family,’ known locally as ‘Mama Rosa’s Home,’ has been operating for over 40 years under the direction of the home’s founder, Rosa del Carmen Verduzco. Local media has reported allegations of abuse dating back to 2010. Parents claim their children have been held in the home against their will and abused, and have demanded to have their children returned to them, says the article.

Police entered the home on July 15, 2014 and ‘rescued’ over 450 children, including six children under the age of three. The home’s founder, known as ‘Mama Rosa,’ and eight employees of the home have been arrested, though they deny any wrongdoing. So far, at least 12 residents from the home have given evidence on the conditions of the home, claiming residents were given moldy and cockroach-infested food, subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and put into isolation without food or water as punishment.

The Mexican DA, Jesus Murillo Karam, reports that investigators will be working to uncover why previous allegations were dismissed or not probed thoroughly. According to the article, the case has raised uncomfortable questions for the authorities about why the accusations were not investigated earlier. The BBC correspondent in the area suggests that corrupt officials may have kept the allegations quiet. Mama Rosa also has powerful backers who continue to support her, including former president Vicente Fox who released a statement of support for Mama Rosa on Twitter. These supporters believe that Mama Rosa is innocent and is receiving unfair treatment in the media.