TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE 4 II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT 6 III JURISDICTION 8 IV PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS 8 A. Alleged inadmissibility of the submission of the case to the Court owing to the publication of the Merits Report by the Commission 9 B. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione personae regarding the presumed victims 11 C. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione personae for violations in abstract terms 15 D. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione temporis with regard to facts prior to the date of acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction, and alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione temporis in relation to facts prior to the State’s adhesion to the Convention 16 E. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione materiae based on violation of the principle of the subsidiary nature of the inter-American system 18 F. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione materiae regarding presumed violations of the prohibition of trafficking in persons 20 G. Alleged lack of jurisdiction ratione materiae concerning supposed violations of labor rights 21 H. Alleged failure to exhaust domestic remedies 22 I. Alleged prescription of the claim for reparation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage before the Commission 24 V EVIDENCE 25 A. Documentary, testimonial and expert evidence ¡Error! Marcador no definido. B. Admission of the evidence ¡Error! Marcador no definido. C. Assessment of the evidence ¡Error! Marcador no definido. VI FACTS ¡Error! Marcador no definido. A. Context 26 B. Facts that fall within the Court’s temporal jurisdiction ¡Error! Marcador no definido. VII DETERMINATION OF THE PRESUMED VICTIMS 45 A. April 1997 inspection ¡Error! Marcador no definido. B. March 2000 inspection 49 VIII MERITS ¡Error! Marcador no definido. VIII-1 PROHIBITION OF SLAVERY, SERVITUDE, FORCED LABOR AND THE SLAVE TRADE AND TRAFFIC IN WOMEN, THE RIGHTS TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY, PERSONAL LIBERTY, RECOGNITION OF JURIDICAL PERSONALITY, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND RESIDENCE, AND THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD 55 A. Arguments of the parties and of the Commission 55 B. Considerations of the Court 61 B.1 The evolution of the prohibition of slavery, servitude, forced labor and practices similar to slavery in international law 63 B.2 International tribunals and quasi-judicial bodies 67 B.3 Aspects of the concept of slavery 70 B.4 Prohibition of servitude and its definition as a practice similar to slavery 71 B.5 Definition of the slave trade and traffic in women and their prohibition 73 B.6 Forced or compulsory labor 76 B.7 The facts of this case in light of the international standards 76 2