Lydia Cacho

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is one of Mexico's leading investigative journalists and a courageous campaigner against child abuse and violence against women.
Her 2005 book, The Demons of Eden: the power behind child pornography, accused powerful politicians and businessmen of being involved in child abuse and prostitution and led to her being illegally arrested, driven hundreds of miles across Mexico, and threatened with murder, drowning and rape. In 2007 she was raped in a bus station in what many suspected was a revenge attack.

Cacho refused to be silenced by such intimidation and continues to champion women and children's rights. She has set up a shelter in Cancun for women and girls who are the victims of sex crimes, violence and trafficking. She has also initiated an innovative educational project which both helps children deal with the results of abuse and promotes peaceful solutions in her country's violent society.

Mexico is second only to Iraq for deaths to journalists. Between 2000 and 2011, criminal organizations have murdered more than 67 journalists there.

In recent months, these groups have killed 15 journalists, “disappeared” three, and attacked the facilities of 19 newspapers and media outlets with firearms and explosives, according to statistics released by the organization Article 19 in October 2011. 

Lydia Cacho's life continues to be in danger. To sign a petition for her and all the writers under threat in Mexico please follow this link: http://chn.ge/usUDUa
 

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is one of Mexico's leading investigative journalists and a courageous campaigner against child abuse and violence against women.
Her 2005 book, The Demons of Eden: the power behind child pornography, accused powerful politicians and businessmen of being involved in child abuse and prostitution and led to her being illegally arrested, driven hundreds of miles across Mexico, and threatened with murder, drowning and rape. In 2007 she was raped in a bus station in what many suspected was a revenge attack.

Cacho refused to be silenced by such intimidation and continues to champion women and children's rights. She has set up a shelter in Cancun for women and girls who are the victims of sex crimes, violence and trafficking. She has also initiated an innovative educational project which both helps children deal with the results of abuse and promotes peaceful solutions in her country's violent society.

Mexico is second only to Iraq for deaths to journalists and Lydia Cacho's life continues to be in danger.

Since 1971 Ragip has been publishing work highlighting violations of human rights throughout the world and especially in his native Turkey. In 1995 his offices were firebombed by right-wing extremists. He has continued to work following the death of his wife in 2002, facing numerous prosecutions, including his current charge over an article critical of Turkish treatment of its Kurd minority. Scottish PEN’s Jean Rafferty travelled to Istanbul to observe Ragip’s trial as part of an International PEN delegation and we maintain close contact.