Eric Rosenthal op-ed in the Washington Post

Washington, DC - March 22, 2017 - DRI Executive Director Eric Rosenthal has published an op-ed on the deadly orphanage fire in Guatemala in the Washington Post. Since the tragic fire that left 40 girls dead on March 8, DRI has been working to protect the survivors - many children who survived the fire have been dumped into other institutions around the country. Rosenthal calls on Guatemala to take this opportunity to redirect funding for orphanages to support families instead and finale close orphanages for good.

Después del fuego: Sobrevivientes del Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción en riesgo

Entre el 7 y 11 de marzo de 2017, investigadores de Disability Rights International (DRI) viajaron a Guatemala. Durante este viaje visitamos a los sobrevivientes del Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción (Hogar Seguro), una institución pública en Guatemala que albergaba a más de 700 niños y en la cual se produjo el incendio el pasado 8 de marzo que ha cobrado la vida de más de 30 niñas (el número ha seguido aumentando en los últimos días).

Urgent - Support justice for Guatemalan girls killed in fire at safe house

Washington, DC, Guatemala City - March 9, 2017 - 31 teenage girls have perished in a so-called "safe house" outside Guatemala City, Guatemala, because they were locked in their room during a fire. The girls were protesting the sexual abuse and trafficking they were subjected to in the institution - leading to being locked in the room as punishment.

Inside 'world's most dangerous' hospital in Guatemala

An undercover BBC investigation into conditions at a mental health institution in Guatemala has revealed patient suffering and abuse at the hands of those meant to care for them. Federico Mora Hospital has been described by campaigners as the world's most abusive and dangerous mental health institution. In 2012, Guatemala was ordered by an American Human Rights Commission to make emergency improvements to the Federico Mora Hospital to "save lives". The government promised to comply. But an undercover BBC investigation found little has changed.

After the Fire: Survivors of Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción at risk

Between March 7-11, 2017, investigators from Disability Rights International (DRI) visited Guatemala. DRI visited Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción (Hogar Seguro), a public institution where more than 700 children were detained. During the visit DRI interviewed the survivors of a fire that took place on March 7, 2017 and has killed more than three dozen girls (the number has been rising in recent days).

Guatemala: Precautionary Measures Petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Based on our observations from visiting the Federico Mora Hospital and from collecting dozens of testimonies from current and former staff, patients, and other sources in Guatemala, we have come to the conclusion that the Federico Mora Hospital is the most dangerous facility our investigators have witnessed anywhere in the Americas.