them, once they had identified her. 57 The same day, the death of Claudina Velásquez was registered and certified in the Civil Registry of the Municipality of Guatemala. 58 B.3. Criminal investigation 59. On August 13, 2005, following the discovery of Claudina Velásquez’s body, the criminal investigation into her death was opened. The investigation was headed by the Office of the Prosecutor for Crimes against Life and Integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, under the jurisdictional control of the Criminal Trial Courts for Drug-trafficking and Environmental Crimes of Guatemala. In the course of the investigation, it has been verified that at least nine individuals have been linked to the incident 59 and that, over more than ten years, different assistant prosecutors of the Public Prosecution Service and agents of the National Police have been involved. 60. Report on external medical examination and forensic processing of the crime scene. On August 13, 2005, the forensic physician of the Public Prosecution Service who was present at the place where Claudina Velásquez’s body was found, conducted the external medical examination and the forensic processing of the crime scene. The respective report was prepared on August 30, 2005, and sent to the agent in charge of the investigation.60 On June 7, 2006, the assistant prosecutor requested that the report be expanded and corrected,61 and on June 21, 2006, the forensic physician submitted his corrected report.62 In a statement made before the assistant prosecutor on January 20, 2009,63 the forensic physician added information on the findings at the scene of the crime. 61. Autopsy reports. On August 13, 2005, the Judiciary’s forensic physician performed the autopsy on the body of Claudina Velásquez. On August 16, 2005, he prepared the respective report, which he sent to the assistant prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service.64 On October 5 and 13, 2005, June 7, 2006, and October 11 and 26, 2007, the assistant prosecutor requested the expansion, correction and clarification of certain aspects of the autopsy report. 65 In response, on October 7, 2005, June 7, 2006, and December 3, 2007, the forensic physician presented the requested expansions and clarifications.66 62. Fingerprinting. Because Claudina Velásquez’s fingerprints had not been taken at the place where her corpse was found or in the Judiciary’s morgue, the assistant prosecutor and the criminal investigation experts of the Public Prosecution Service went to the funeral home where a wake was being held for the corpse on August 13, 2005, and took her fingerprints. On August 16, the Criminal Investigations Expert sent the “ten fingerprint” sheet to the Technical and Cf. Identification record of the Forensic Medicine Service of August 13, 2005 (evidence file, folio 77), and Resolution of the Ombudsman of July 20, 2006 (evidence file, folio 124). 58 Cf. Death certificate of October 17, 2005 (evidence file, folio 3016). 59 Cf. Communications of November 10, 2005, July 5, 2006, and June 22, 2009 (evidence file, folios 4264, 4734 and 4977). See also infra para. 67. 60 Cf. Report on external medical examination and forensic processing of the crime scene of August 30, 2005 (evidence file, folios 35 and 36). 61 Letter of the assistant prosecutor addressed to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Public Prosecution Service of June 7, 2006 (evidence file, folio 193). 62 Letter of the forensic physician addressed to the assistant prosecutor of June 21, 2006 (evidence file, folio 38). 63 Cf. Statement of the forensic physician of January 20, 2009, before the assistant prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service (evidence file, folios 2879 to 2883). 64 Cf. Autopsy report sent to the assistant prosecutor on August 16, 2005 (evidence file, folios 30 and 31). 65 Cf. Letters of the assistant prosecutor of October 5 and 13, 2005, June 7, 2006, and October 11 and 26, 2007, addressed to the Forensic Medicine Service (evidence file, folios 4221, 4243, 3277, 4363, 4364, 4519 and 4514). 66 Cf. Reports of the forensic physician of October 7, 2005, June 7, 2006, and December 3, 2007 (evidence file, folios 2976 to 2977, 3278 and 5073). 57 22