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step in cases of violence against women and girls. The Commission considers this
expert testimony includes issues of public order since she will address issues relating to
the special protection of the States in investigations where the victims is a child and on
the basis of international standards regarding the right of woman and girls.
Elisa Portillo Nájera will refer to the context of violence against women and girls
in Guatemala, the general context of impunity for such acts, and systemic weaknesses
in the judicial response against crimes of rape of women. The Commission considers
this expert testimony includes issues of public order since she will refer to the situation of
discrimination and violence against women, assess the effectiveness of policies and
institutions prevention and highlight the obstacles for victims and their families to have
access to justice, with special reference to the Guatemalan case.
The curricula vitae of the experts proposed by the Inter-American Commission
are attached to the Merits Report 170/11.
The Commission notifies that the organization that represents the victims in the
procedure before the Inter-American Court is the Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho
Internacional (CEJIL) and the Red de No Violencia contra las Mujeres de Guatemala
(REDNOVI)
Firmada en el original
Elizabeth Abi-Mershed
Deputy Executive Secretary