Child Homicides Surge: National Children’s Advocate Highlights Ongoing Structural Violence Crisis Against Minors

Original article: Tres homicidios en una semana: Defensoría de la Niñez advierte «persistente crisis estructural de violencia» contra niños, niñas y adolescentes

The National Children’s Advocate has filed three legal complaints related to the recent homicides reported within just one week in Chile.

These tragic incidents involve the death of a 4-year-old girl in Antofagasta, a 17-year-old boy in Cerro Navia, and another 17-year-old in the Independencia district.

Anuar Quesille, the National Children’s Advocate, described these incidents as «extremely serious and cannot be downplayed,» warning that they reflect a persistent structural crisis of violence against children and adolescents.

«This violence manifests in various contexts, such as within homes, in situations of domestic violence, and in environments associated with crime, like gunfire and paybacks. All of these represent extreme acts of violence,» Quesille stated.

Alarming Situation

The statistics reveal the severity of the issues highlighted by the National Children’s Advocate.

In 2025 alone, at least 31 children and adolescents lost their lives due to gun violence, while 51 cases were reported in 2024 and 42 in 2023.

Moreover, according to police records and the analysis from the 6th Public Policy Report by the National Children’s Advocate, between 2021 and June 2025, 159,776 victims of rights violations have been identified within this age group, indicating a sustained increase in such incidents.

This latest report, conducted by the rights observatory of the institution, shows an average of 1.46 reported cases of rights violations for every child or adolescent, highlighting trajectories marked by multiple violations and a system failing to effectively interrupt these cycles.

The institution noted that the problem is multifaceted and calls for a comprehensive response.

«Homicides of children and adolescents do not occur in isolation, but in multiple risk scenarios. This confirms that we are dealing not with isolated cases, but a structural phenomenon that demands a coordinated response from both the state and society,» emphasized Anuar Quesille.

Additionally, the Advocate warned that government responses have not matched the gravity of the situation: «In just the past year, the National Children’s Advocate has filed 27 judicial complaints, primarily for sexual violence, indicating an intervention that seeks justice for victims but remains reactive in the face of persistent violence.»

In light of this complex scenario, the National Children’s Advocate reiterated the urgency of transitioning from a reactive to a preventive, timely, and effective protection system, capable of detecting risks early, supporting families, and preventing violations from escalating into irreparable consequences.

«Protecting children is not solely a task for the state. As a society, we must stop normalizing violence and take an active role in protecting the rights of children and adolescents. As long as practices that violate rights persist, any institutional effort will be insufficient,» concluded Quesille.

El Ciudadano