Sexual harassment complaints in Baja California Sur surged 125% between April and May 2026, climbing from 8 reports to 18, according to the state’s latest common crime incidence report. The spike is part of a broader pattern of reported sexual violence across the state during the first five months of the year.
March recorded the highest single-month total with 34 sexual harassment complaints. The January through May period produced 88 total cases of acoso sexual, the legal term for sexual harassment under Mexican criminal law.
Sexual Violence Complaints Across BCS in 2026
Sexual harassment is only one category tracked in the state report. From January through May, authorities also logged 197 sexual abuse complaints, 53 cases of simple rape, 42 cases of aggravated rape, and 50 violations of sexual privacy. Those figures combine for a total well above 400 sexual crime complaints in just five months.
The numbers align with a broader trend documented by the Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SESNSP), Mexico’s national public safety statistics body. In the first four months of 2026, Baja California Sur accumulated 385 sexual crime complaints overall, according to the SESNSP’s most recent update published in May.
BCS Ranks High Nationally for Sexual Violence Reports
Baja California Sur has ranked among the top five states nationally for sexual abuse call rates per 100,000 residents. In January 2026, the state placed fourth in that category with 13 cases, according to El Sudcaliforniano. The state also ranked second nationally for domestic violence rates per capita that same month.
A January 2026 analysis by Tribuna de México noted that sexual offenses in the state “have not achieved a structural reduction” over the past five years. That report identified sexual crimes, along with intentional homicide, domestic violence, and drug dealing, as the state’s top security challenges heading into the year.
The crime data covers the entire state, which includes the major population centers of La Paz, Los Cabos, Loreto, and Comondú. The report does not break down complaints by municipality or specify whether victims or alleged perpetrators are residents or visitors.
The data was first reported by BCS Noticias, citing the state’s official common crime incidence report for the January through May 2026 period.