Help for American Victims of Crime in Ecuador

Being the victim of a crime in a foreign country can be a devastating and traumatic experience. While no one can undo the emotional trauma, physical injury, or financial loss you may have experienced, the U.S. Mission in Ecuador is ready to help connect you with local resources, which can help you navigate the legal process.  We can assist you in managing the consequences of being a crime victim and provide you with information about accessing the local criminal justice system, and about other resources for crime victims abroad and in the United States.  If you have a question, please do not hesitate to contact us.  If you have specific legal questions, you may want to consult an attorney since we cannot provide any legal advice.  There are two lists of attorneys available in the “Additional Resources” section of this webpage.

Reporting Crime

We strongly encourage U.S. citizens to report crimes with local authorities.  This is important, especially if you want to pursue a legal action against the perpetrator (for certain crimes) while back in the United States.  You can approach the closest police station and ask where to file a police report (https://www.policia.gob.ec/programas-y-servicios/).  If you cannot go in person, call 1800 DELITO (335486) and press option 4, or call 911.  You may also approach the Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía General del Estado).  The Prosecutor’s Office has units that are specialized by category of crime, including units specialized in physical, gender, sexual, and physiological violence.  In 2020, the Ecuadorian government introduced an online mechanism for filing complaints for these type of crimes.  For additional information regarding resources available for victims of physical, gender, sexual and physiological violence crimes, please contact us.

SEPEs – Servicios de Proteccion Integral
The Secretariat of Human Rights (Secretaria de Derechos Humanos) maintains a national network of support centers for victims of physical, gender, sexual and psychological violence.  These institutions provide psychological, legal and social services to victims of violence, and trafficking in persons, free of charges.  In the country, there are 45 offices of the Comprehensive Protection Service, distributed in different cities. Please see the Secretariat of Human Rights website for more information: https://www.derechoshumanos.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/DIRECCIONES-SEPE-PARA-PAGINA-WEB-Copy.pdf.

If minors are involved, contact the Specialized Police for Children and Adolescents (DINAPEN) at +593-2-295-0214 or call 911 and ask for a DINAPEN officer on duty. You may also contact DINAPEN via email at Dinapenquito.direccion@policiaecuador.gob.ec.

It is also important that you reach out to the nearest Embassy or Consulate if you have been a victim of a crime in a foreign country.  In Ecuador, you can email either the U.S. Embassy in Quito at ACSQuito@state.gov or the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil at ACSGuayaquil@state.gov.  Please provide us with as much information about the incident as you are comfortable.  Please also include contact information so we may get in touch with you.

You can find more victims assistance information, including programs, compensation and counseling, on the travel.state.gov website at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/crime.html.