In Chile, child homicides doubled between 2018 and 2024, rising from 38 to 76 victims. In the last year alone, a child or adolescent was killed every five days.
In light of this alarming reality, an unprecedented intersectoral report was presented this Friday, aiming to lay the groundwork for a more effective state response to the protection of children.
The report was prepared by the Intersectoral Group for the Prevention and Investigation of Homicides of Children and Adolescents, composed of eleven public institutions—including the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Carabineros de Chile, the Investigative Police (PDI), and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsperson—together with Fundación Amparo y Justicia.
The presentation was attended by various authorities, including National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia, Children’s Ombudsperson Anuar Quesille, Undersecretary for Children Verónica Silva, and Director General of the Investigative Police Eduardo Cerna.
The report identifies urgent gaps that need to be addressed, including the lack of common protocols, weak interinstitutional coordination, barriers to information sharing, and the need for specialized training for teams investigating these deaths.
According to Nicolás Pietrasanta, Head of Research and Public Policy at Fundación Amparo y Justicia, this work seeks to “lay the foundations for a Chile that better protects its children, moving toward joint solutions that strengthen the prevention and investigation of child homicides.”
The document represents the first phase of the Intersectoral Group’s work and will serve as the basis for designing concrete public policy proposals in the coming months.
