Leyla was murdered by two young girls who posed as her friends. The attackers—aged 13 and 15—lured her there under false pretenses, telling her they had a “surprise” to give her. Once at the location, they seated her in a chair, blindfolded her, and killed her. Leyla Monserrat Lares Becerra, 15, died in September 2025 in Sonora, when the two teenagers strangled her with a rope around her neck. And they filmed it.
In Mexico, minors who commit serious crimes—such as homicide—are not tried in the same manner as adults; for them, a specialized system exists that prioritizes social reintegration through socio-educational measures over incarceration. Thus, for the murder of her “friend,” the 15-year-old attacker was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months of institutional confinement; the 13-year-old girl received 10 months of supervised release. Meanwhile, Carmen Becerra—Leyla’s mother—was “compensated” with 5,657 pesos as restitution for damages. Aberrant. Derisory.
For the same crime, an adult could face decades in prison; however, Mexican legislation establishes a cap on sentences for minors and stipulates that measures involving the deprivation of liberty are a last resort—to be used “as an extreme measure and for the shortest possible duration.”
According to the National Law on the Comprehensive Criminal Justice System for Adolescents, in no case may minors aged 12 to 14 be incarcerated; they may only be sanctioned with community service, family supervision, restrictions on traveling abroad or visiting certain locations, or supervised release. As for serious crimes such as homicide: if the offenders are between 14 and 16 years old, they may serve a maximum of three years of institutional confinement in specialized centers; if they are between 16 and 18 years old, the maximum is five years.
This is a practice that is facing increasing scrutiny. Leyla’s murder has reopened the debate regarding harsher penalties for minors—specifically, that in cases involving serious crimes such as homicide, they should be punished as adults. This aims to eliminate any perception of impunity. Furthermore, criminal groups have exploited this legal framework, frequently recruiting minors to serve as lookouts, couriers, or even contract killers—precisely because the penalties they face are significantly lighter. (This raises a separate issue that also warrants attention: the risk that these minors may be prosecuted as criminals rather than receiving protection, despite being victims of forced recruitment themselves.)
What social conditions drive minors to commit a homicide like Leyla’s? What is known about the families and parents of the two perpetrators? How did these teenagers come to turn to a life of crime?
Mexico’s juvenile justice system must also ensure that justice is served for the direct victims of these crimes. However, the root of the problem lies not merely in increasing the duration or severity of penalties, but rather in ensuring the effectiveness of social reintegration programs and strengthening crime prevention policies aimed at adolescents. The debate has been reopened.
