Child Protection

Congress received a comprehensive bill on August 24 designed to prevent child sexual abuse, streamline reporting, and coordinate institutional response across Honduras, where officials report an average of 26 sexual assaults daily, 75% involving minors.

Bay Islands officials held a council meeting to coordinate child protection across institutions, establishing three working groups (protection, health, education) and planning to expand the SENAF office from one employee to a regional headquarters with a budget increase to 10 million lempiras.

The child-welfare agency Senaf announced it will enforce laws against exposing minors on social media and news outlets, saying such exposure harms children's emotional well-being and dignity; a human-rights expert urged concrete action, citing data showing 18,000 Honduran children live in street situations or vulnerability.

Congress approved a motion on July 28 requesting information from the Public Ministry and police on complaints of sexual assault, harassment, and rape of minors in Honduran schools, citing multiple cases under investigation in 2026.

Honduras's child-welfare agency (Senaf) documented 62 pregnancies among girls and adolescents so far in 2026, attributing them to sexual violence, and warned that many victims do not report abuse or seek institutional help.

A legislative commission met with prosecutors to strengthen investigation procedures and prevention strategies against child and adolescent sexual abuse in schools, with 2025 data showing 1,082 reported cases across six major cities.

The National Congress unanimously approved a motion requiring the Public Prosecutor's office and police to report to lawmakers on how they handle complaints of sexual assault, rape, and harassment of children in schools, citing numerous reports of abuse.

National Police arrested a man in Comayagua on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault against a minor.

Sexual violence against Honduran children is increasing amid widespread impunity, with only 1 in 10 cases prosecuted and 90.6% of reported offenses going unpunished, according to rights monitors and government data.

Marta María Saire, twice sexually assaulted while under state care as a child, remains inadequately supported despite a 2003 IACHR friendly-settlement agreement requiring Honduras to provide her comprehensive rehabilitation.

National Police arrested a man accused of sexually abusing his 14-year-old cousin in El Progreso, Yoro, resulting in the child's pregnancy; a judicial warrant was issued in 2024 and the suspect now faces charges of sexual assault against a minor.

The UNICEF representative in Honduras said the country has one of the world's highest rates of adolescent pregnancy, with over 20,000 girls becoming pregnant annually, many under age 15—cases classified as sexual assault—and called for coordinated action through schools, families, and communities to address both prevention and victim support.

A congressional commission is developing an inter-agency coordination mechanism involving state institutions, international partners, and civil society to strengthen prevention, victim care, and justice access under Honduras's child sexual-abuse law.

A study of 19 Garífuna and Lenca communities across four Honduran departments finds they have created their own child-protection mechanisms—including community committees, women's networks, and cultural spaces—to shield children from violence in the absence of effective government services.

COIPRODEN, representing private child-welfare organizations, warns that hundreds of children in residential care are at risk because the National Child and Family Secretariat (SENAF) has not disbursed promised funds or signed cooperation agreements, threatening the organizations' ability to continue providing shelter and support.

Honduras's Supreme Court approved a procedural protocol to speed up the return of children illegally taken out of or brought into the country, implementing the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction that Honduras ratified in 1993.

Roatán inaugurated the departmental Child and Adolescent Rights Council, bringing together local institutions and organizations to coordinate protection efforts and address concerns including 150 teen pregnancies and 650 school dropouts last year.

Joaquín Alvarado Bueso, 38, was extradited to the United States on charges of first-degree rape, indecent acts against minors, and child sexual abuse involving two stepchildren.

A lawmaker from the Libre party introduced a bill to establish a national registry of people convicted of sexual crimes, to be administered by the Supreme Court and accessible publicly to help prevent re-offending and protect vulnerable populations.

Congress's Family and Children Commission is leading technical talks to revise the law on sexual abuse prevention and protection for children and adolescents, citing persistent legal gaps that hinder swift justice for victims.

Honduras's National Congress is drafting reforms to strengthen legal protections and institutional coordination for the prevention, detection, and prosecution of sexual abuse against children and adolescents, following violence that kills dozens of minors yearly.

Some 136 alternative-care centers housing vulnerable children have received no government disbursements or agreements from the child-welfare agency SENAF since January 2026, forcing them to rely on private donations amid at least 190 violent deaths of minors in Q1 2026.

Police arrested TikToker Urías Lobo in San Pedro Sula after he posted a video showing a child being shaved for 500 lempiras (about $20) in Danlí, prompting the government child-welfare agency to warn that publishing images of minors in vulnerable situations violates their rights.

A Congressional committee held a second consultation with civil-rights organizations and government agencies on proposed reforms to strengthen prevention, early detection, and prosecution of sexual abuse against children and adolescents in Honduras.

The ATIC (Honduras's anti-trafficking unit) arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

Honduran child-protection prosecutors obtained a judicial detention order against a suspect accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Danlí.