family life and privacy and to property recognized in Articles 11(2) and 21 of the American Convention to the detriment of Justina Barrios, Elbira Barrios, Luis Alberto Barrios and Orismar Carolina Alzul García and Brígida Oneyda Barrios. 136. The State affirmed that “if the searches were conducted – a situation […] that has not been proved – they could have been carried out without a judicial warrant in keeping with the exceptions [established] in [the Venezuela Code of Criminal Procedure].” B. Facts 137. On November 29, 2003, an incident occurred between Narciso Barrios and a police agent in a bar where some members of the Barrios family worked, which resulted in the apparent theft of the latter’s service weapon (supra para. 109). 138. During the night of the same day, members of the police170 searched the homes of Brígida Oneyda Barrios,171 and of Luis Alberto Barrios and Orismar Carolina Alzul García.172 During these searches, some possessions of Brígida Oneyda Barrios, and of Luis Alberto Barrios and Orismar Carolina Alzul García were destroyed and others removed from their homes.173 In addition, the home of the last two individuals was set on fire.174 C. Considerations of the Court 170 Cf. Record of criminal investigation of the Forensic and Scientific Crime Investigation Unit of February 21, 2005 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5120); Record of interview with Wilmer Bravo Teran before the Office of the Prosecutor of the Republic on January 16, 2007 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5188); Note No. 035/07 of January 24, 2007, of the S.A.R.A. and Operations Division, with a copy of the daily log of the San Francisco de Cara Police Station of November 29, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5193); Police technical inspection No. 1726 of November 30, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folios 5280 to 5282). See also, Record of interview with Eduleydis Pantoja Rodríguez by the Forensic and Scientific Crime Investigation Unit on November 30, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5290). 171 Cf. Complaint filed by Brígida Oneyda Barrios before the Fourteenth Prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service on December 2, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folios 5232 to 5234); Record of interview with Brígida Oneyda Barrios on February 28, 2005, supra note 120, folio 5252; Record of interview with Brígida Oneyda Barrios by the Twentieth Prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service on October 3, 2006 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5168), and Affidavit made by Brígida Oneyda Barrios on June 20, 2006 (merits file, tome III, folio 883). 172 Cf. Complaint filed by Luis Alberto Barrios on December 4, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folios 5236 to 5237); Complaint filed by Orismar Carolina Alzul García before the Fourteenth Prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service on December 10, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5238); Interview with Orismar Carolina Alzul García by officials of the Scientific Investigation Unit on February 21, 2005 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folios 5113 and 5114); Record of criminal investigation of February 21, 2005 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5242), and Affidavit made by Orismar Carolina Alzul García on June 21, 2011 (merits file, tome III, folio 911). See also, Complaint filed before the Senior Prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service on March 1, 2004, supra note 141, folios 3210 to 3214. 173 Cf. Complaint filed by Brígida Oneyda Barrios on December 2, 2003, supra note 171, folios 5232 to 5234; Record of interview with Brígida Oneyda Barrios on February 28, 2005, supra note 120, folio 5252; Complaint filed by Luis Alberto Barrios on December 4, 2003, supra note 172, folio 5236, and Complaint filed by Orismar Carolina Alzul García on December 10, 2003, supra note 172, folio 5236. 174 Cf. Complaints and statements made by Orismar Carolina Alzul García and Luis Alberto Barrios, supra note 172. In addition, cf. Record of visit of the Children’s Ombudsman’s Office on December 9, 2003 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folio 5239), and Police technical inspection No. 300 of February 21, 2005 (file of attachments to the answering brief, tome II, attachment 10, folios 5116 and 5117). 48