Text adopted on 9.4.92

The European Parliament,

A. horrified by the frequent murders and torture of children living on the streets in Guatemala by the police or private security guards,

B. aware of the great difficulties involved in dealing with this problem,

C. saluting the courageous efforts of those who try to help these children, thereby risking their own lives, and who have instituted legal proceedings against policemen suspected of committing these crimes,

D. welcoming the decision of the Canadian International Development Agency to provide $60 000 to assist these legal proceedings,

E. drawing attention to the fact that, of the six policemen so far convicted of murdering such children, four have had their convictions quashed because an official at the sentencing office had made a typographical error and two received suspended sentences,

F. recalling its previous resolutions on the violations of human rights in Guatemala and on the plight of street children in other Latin American countries,

1. Calls on the Commission and the Council to do all in their power to support the struggle against these terrible crimes;

2. Urges the Commission and the Council to consider ways of helping NGOs which seek to protect the street children of Guatemala;

3. Calls on the EPC to develop a common policy, which takes account of the horror of the situation, towards countries where murder and persecution of street children by the police and security guards are habitual;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Ministers meeting in EPC, the Governments of Canada and Guatemala, Covenant House in New York and the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States.