By Niclas Hammarström – Honduras is the country with the highest number of murders per capita. Each year more than 7000 people are murdered. Niclas visited the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, to cover the high murder rates following the police’s work, visiting members of the gang Mara Salvatrucha and meeting with the afflicted civilians. The wars between the rival gangs in the city takes it toll on the citizens. Around 83 per cent of the homicides are by firearms and few of them lead to trial.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
A man has been killed with a machete in a luxury villa outside Tegucigalpa. It´s blood all over the house and he is laying dead. His right hand is cut of and the is almost too. The man killed is a well known thief and murderer and the owner of the managed to kill him. The owners son is hurt and in hospital and his clothes are outside in the garden.
The owner is standing with the police. He has a deep cut in his right hand.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Two men are shoot and killed in Campo Cielo. The one on the bed was 26 and the one on the floor 32. The area is controlled by Mara 18 and is very dangerous. The house is owned by a man called the Bitch. He is in hospital and treated for gunshot wounds.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Two men are shoot and killed in Campo Cielo. The one on the bed was 26 and the one on the floor 32. The are is controlled by Mara 18 and is very dangerous. The house is owned by a man called the Bitch. He is in hospital and treated for gunshot wounds.
Seylin Jackeline Hernandez Garcia, 26, is a forensic police and is searching the room.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Elwin Guillém, 37, has been in the Comayaga prison since 1999. He´s convicted of murder on two persons from rival gangs. He was the leader of the gang Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13. He says that he has killed 25 persons. ”The first one was hard, then a was longing for it, then I felt nothing”
In 2012 the Comayagua prison was sett on fire and 356 prisoners died.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Hector "Bacon" Andres, 28, is a taxi driver. He was on a memorial service for a friend that was killed the day before. Hector was shoot in the street at 6 am. Three men has been shoot in the same street the last two days. ”This is how people are killed in Honduras. Like dogs. The murderer will never be found”, says he´s wife far to the right. He´s daughter is to the far left. They are watching the body in the street.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Elwin Guillém, 37, has been in the Comayaga prison since 1999. He´s convicted of murder on two persons from rival gangs. He was the leader of the gang Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13. He says that he has killed 25 persons. ”The first one was hard, then a was longing for it, then I felt nothing”
In 2012 the Comayagua prison was sett on fire and 356 prisoners died.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
In the Tegucigalpa morgue a man is cleaning the floor. Two bodies waiting for autopsy. One is shoot and the other tortured to death with a machete.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Hector "Bacon" Andres, 28, is a taxi driver. He was on a memorial service for a friend that was killed the day before. Hector was shoot in the street at 6 am. Three men has been shoot in the same street the last two days. ”This is how people are killed in Honduras. Like dogs. The murderer will never be found”, says he´s wife.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
María Erlinda Valladares, 10, lives with her father after her mother left them. They live in a very poor and dangerous area. During daytime a neighbor takes care of her and her younger brother.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
A man is shoot and killed. The police are doing some investigation at the hospitals morgue.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Santos, 45, has been shoot in his home. Police suspects he is a drug dealer. Infront and under his body the police find cocaine and crack. According to witnesses two men on motorcycle taxi came and shoot him from the front door.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Dana is 13 years old. She was raped by her father and the result is a daughter. In Honduras teenage mothers is very common. 50 000 girls under 18 years is pregnant every year, 50 percent of these is a result of rape. Dana lives in the slum and her dream is the become an architect.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Tegucigalpa has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
At a tivoli a man is shooting target while his son is watching.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
Santos, 45, has been shoot in his home. Police suspects he is a drug dealer. Infront and under his body the police find cocaine and crack. According to witnesses two men on motorcycle taxi came and shoot him from the front door.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmTegucigalpa, Honduras
At 5 am the police is looking to arrest a man suspected to have raped his brothers daughters, 3 and 5 years old. The area is controlled by the gang Maras 18. The father of the children is in the house when the police arrive but the brother had escaped.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmA young boy and his father were surprised by a burglar in their home. The boy was stabbed and taken to the hospital. The father managed to overpower and kill the intruder.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmMost murders happening is gang-related. The gangs have special torture houses where they kill their victims with axes, knives and chainsaws.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmA man has been killed with a machete in a luxury villa outside Tegucigalpa. There is blood all over the house. His right hand is cut of and he has cuts all over his body.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmA young girl is found raped and strangled. At the morgue she gets a autopsy and her clothes is photographed.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmThe morgue in Tegucigalpa is often full. Sometimes the staff is forced to put bodies in the corridor when the chillers are full.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmIn Honduras 83 percent of all homicides are by firearms. Police are corrupt and very few homicides leads to trial.
Photo: Niclas HammarströmOutside the hospital morgue in the capital Tegucigalpa is a bloody bed. A man has died of his gunshot wounds and soon his relatives will come to retrieve the body.
Photo: Niclas Hammarström
