Half of Women's Killers Get Away in Mexico State

During Enrique Pena Nieto's six-year governorship, some 1,003 women were killed in Mexico state, home to 15 million—and half those crimes were unsolved, most hardly investigated, according to a watchdog's report. As Pena Nieto prepares to be Mexico's next president, activists are beginning to speak up about the continuing problem. Amnesty International warns of "state-level authorities that have failed to prevent or punish documented cases of grave gender-based violence." But when a congresswoman demanded action, "they accused us of wanting to damage the image of the state and of [Pena Nieto]."

Still, individuals are doing their part to fight the crisis. The Los Angeles Times recounts the story of Jessica Lucero, 14, who was killed within a month after revealing the name of a man who had raped her. Now, her mother is seeking justice—despite attacks on the family and friends' warnings that she may be putting her life in danger. "They ask me, what could you possibly gain? But if you don't do it, it won't stop. I don't want there to be another mother like me," she says. Read the Times' full report. (More Enrique Pena Nieto stories.)