Guatemala City, Feb 12 (RHC)-- At least 469 people were murdered in Guatemala during the first month of 2018, humanitarian organization Mutual Support Group (GAM) is reporting.  The GAM study reports that 74.63 percent of the murders were committed with firearms, prompting the organization to call for tighter restrictions on gun ownership.  Of the victims, 387 were men and 82 women.

The number of women murdered has increased 34.4 percent compared to January 2017, when there were just 61 cases of femicide reported.  GAM is now calling on Guatemala's state institutions, including the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, to do more to combat violent crime.  It is also recommending greater investment in education, and calling for awareness campaigns to help prevent violence against women.

Last year, 11 Guatemalan journalists were murdered, bringing the total killed since 2000 to 36, according to the Association of Journalists of Guatemala.  In addition, according to an annual report issued last week by the country's Human Rights Ombudsman, a total of 5,635 minors were victims of sexual abuse or violence in Guatemala in 2017.