2 the abduction, torture and murder of Henry Giovanni Contreras, Federico Clemente Figueroa Túnchez, Julio Roberto Caal Sandoval and Jovito Josué Juárez Cifuentes; the murder of Anstraum [Aman] Villagrán Morales; and the failure of State mechanisms to deal appropriately with the said violations and provide the victim’s families with access to justice. 3. As two of the victims, Julio Roberto Caal Sandoval and Jovito Josué Juárez Cifuentes, were minors when they were abducted, tortured and murdered, and Anstraum Aman Villagrán Morales was a minor when he was killed, the Commission alleged that Guatemala had violated Article 19 (Rights of the Child) of the American Convention. The Commission requested the Court to order the State to take the necessary steps to conduct a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into the facts “so that [the individual responsibilities for the alleged violations may be] recorded in an officially authorized report” and “those responsible may be punished appropriately”. It also requested the Court to order the State “to vindicate the names of the victims and make fair payment to the persons affected by the violations of the aforementioned rights” and to pay costs to the victims and their representatives. In its application, the Commission also cited the violation of Articles 1, 6 and 8 of the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture (hereinafter “Convention against Torture”). II COMPETENCE OF THE COURT 4. The Court is competent to hear this case. Guatemala has been a State Party to the American Convention since May 25, 1978, accepted the contentious jurisdiction of the Court on March 9, 1987, and ratified the Convention against Torture on January 29, 1987. III PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION 5. On September 15, 1994, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and Casa Alianza presented the formal petition corresponding to this case to the Inter-American Commission. The petition was based on “the death of five youths and the alleged denial of domestic justice in the case”. On September 20, 1994, the Commission opened case No. 11,383, transmitted the pertinent parts of the petition to the State and requested it to provide information on the facts contained in this communication with a period of 90 days. 6. During its 87th session, from September 19 to 30, 1994, the Commission held a hearing on the case. On that occasion, Guatemala presented its reply to the petition. 7. On December 15, 1994, the State presented an additional report related to the Commission’s request of September 20, 1994. 8. On January 17, 1995, the Commission received the petitioners’ response to the reply presented to the Commission by the State.