16
79.
According to the partial reference autopsy performed on Eduardo Nicolás Cruz Sánchez
on April 23, 1997, he presented with “a severe gunshot wound on the right side with exposed fractures
and loss of brain matter.”61 Moreover, subsequent expert reports indicate that he took only one gunshot
wound to the neck. In this regard, it was determined that:
Given the characteristics of the wounds to the cranium, it can be inferred that they were caused by
a projectile fired from a high-speed firearm, with the victim positioned lower than the assailant, who
62
was behind and to the left of the victim.
[…]
The region that received the impact (the posterior region of the neck) is not very accessible to an
assailant, particularly if the target is mobile. This individual would have had to have been
63
immobilized before being shot.
80.
Once the operation was over, the wounded hostages and commandos were taken to the
Central Military Hospital.64 Autopsies were performed on the bodies of commandos Alfonso Valer
Sandoval and Gustavo Jiménez Chávez, and hostage Carlos Ernesto Giusti Acuña on the night of April
22, 1997.65
Proceedings following the operation
81.
Also on April 22, 1997, the special military judge and special military prosecutor arrived at
the residence of the Ambassador but were unable to inspect all of the facilities “for security reasons, since
there was information that strategic areas of the Residence had been mined […] which put at risk the
security of the personnel involved, and it was therefore decided that the identification and removal of the
corpses (of the MRTA members) would take place the following day.”66
82.
On April 23, 1997, the special military judge and the special military prosecutor went to
the residence of the Ambassador of Japan and ordered that the bodies of the MRTA members be
removed and taken to the Central Hospital of the National Police. They also ordered the chief of
pathology, National Police Medical Commander Herbert Ángeles Villa Nueva to perform the official
autopsies.
61
Appendix 6, Report of the identification and removal of the corpses of the criminal terrorists belonging to the Túpac Amaru
Revolutionary Movement found in the Residence of the Ambassador of Japan, Appendix to the representatives’ communication of
April 22, 2008.
62
Appendix 7, Report of the forensic medical examinations performed by the Institute of Forensic Medicine, appendix
submitted by the petitioners on February 3, 2003, Volume V. See also, Appendix 3, Non-certified copy of the order to initiate
proceedings of June 11, 2002, appendix to the State’s communication of August 5, 2008 and February 6, 2009 and appendix to the
representatives’ communication of April 22, 2008. Appendix to the State’s communication of 1º December 2003, appendix submitted
at the public hearing.
63
Appendix 12, Report on human remains NN1-NN4 attributed to the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, prepared by
Clyde C. Show, PhD and José Pablo Baraybar, MSc. Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team [Equipo Peruano de Antropología
Forense (EPAF)] of July 2001, appendix to the representatives’ communications of April 22, 2008, and February 3, 2003. See also,
Appendix 3, Non-certified copy of the order to initiate proceedings of June 11, 2002, appendix to the State’s communication of
August 5, 2008 and February 6, 2009 and appendix to the representatives’ communication of April 22, 2008. Appendix to the State’s
communication of December 1, 2003, appendix submitted at the public hearing.
64
Appendix 13, Log of patients admitted to the Central Military Hospital, appendix submitted at the public hearing.
65
Appendix 14, Autopsy Protocol of Lt. Gustavo Jiménez Chávez, Dr. Ernesto Giusti Acuña and Lt. Col. Juan Alfonso Valer
Sandoval, appendix submitted at the public hearing. See also, their death certificates, appendix submitted at the public hearing.
66
Appendix 15, Report of the intervention of the forces of order in compliance with Operations Plan Chavín de Huántar,
appendix submitted at the public hearing.