The Miami Herald
Fri, Sep. 17, 2004

Mothers of slain women to be given free homes

A state in northern Mexico will give homes to 47 mothers of slain women. Some see the plan as an attempt to cover up the lack of progress in the criminal investigations.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - (AP) -- The government of a northern Mexico state has promised to give free homes to 47 mothers of women killed in a string of sexually motivated slayings, angering some activists, who say the gifts gloss over the lack of results in the criminal investigations.

Thirty families in Chihuahua state will receive the houses later this month, with the rest distributed after the new government takes office in October, said Victoria Caraveo, head of the Chihuahua Women's Institute.

''The houses are part of a program that aims at helping the mothers rebuild their lives,'' Caraveo said.

Mexican authorities say 340 women have been killed over the past decade in Ciudad Juarez, a city of 1.3 million people. About 90 of the victims were sexually assaulted, strangled and dumped in the desert surrounding this industrial city across the Rio Grande River from El Paso, Texas.

Many of those killed were young women who migrated with their families from poor rural towns in the Mexican countryside. They often worked in factories or as maids to support their children or help their parents.

The homes are being given to the families of 47 of the 90 sexual-assault victims. Only those who came forward received the help. The 235-square-foot homes, made of concrete and tin, and surrounding lots are worth $12,000. The program also includes psychological, medical and legal support, as well as a monthly stipend of $160, Caraveo said.

One activist said the homes and support program are bribes to keep the families from pressing for the crimes to be solved. ''The government knows of the great financial need these families have, and they are taking advantage of that,'' said Marisela Ortiz, of the nonprofit Bring Our Daughters Back Home.