TABLE OF CONTENTS
I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ................................. 4
II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT .......................................................................... 6
III JURISDICTION ........................................................................................................ 7
IV PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS ..................................................................................... 7
A. Preliminary objection concerning lack of material jurisdiction over Article 7 of the
Convention of Belém do Pará ....................................................................................... 7
A.1. Arguments of the parties and the Commission .............................................................. 7
A.2. Considerations of the Court ........................................................................................ 8
B. Objection of failure to exhaust domestic remedies .................................................. 9
B.1. Arguments of the parties and the Commission .............................................................. 9
B.2. Considerations of the Court ...................................................................................... 10
V EVIDENCE ............................................................................................................... 12
A.
Documentary, testimonial and expert evidence ................................................ 12
B.
Admission of the evidence ................................................................................ 12
B.1. Admission of the documentary evidence .................................................................. 12
B.2. Admission of the testimonial and expert evidence ..................................................... 13
C.
Assessment of the evidence .............................................................................. 14
VI FACTS .................................................................................................................... 15
A.
Context in which the facts of the case occurred ................................................ 15
B.
Facts of the case concerning Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz ............................ 19
B.1. Report of her disappearance ..................................................................................... 19
B.2. Discovery of the body and initial procedures ............................................................... 20
B.3. Criminal investigation............................................................................................... 22
B.4. Investigation by the Guatemalan Ombudsman ............................................................ 31
B.5. Disciplinary procedures in the Head Office for the Prosecution of Crimes against Life and
Integrity and in the Criminal Investigation Department ....................................................... 32
B.6. Disciplinary Procedure in the Disciplinary Regime Unit of the Judiciary’s Human Resources
System ......................................................................................................................... 32
VII MERITS ................................................................................................................ 34
VII.I. Rights to life and personal integrity, in relation to Articles 1(1) and 2 of the
American Convention and Article 7 of the Convention of Belém do Pará, to the
detriment of Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz .............................................................. 35
A. Arguments of the Commission and of the parties ................................................... 35
B. Considerations of the Court .................................................................................... 37
B.1. Before the disappearance Claudina Velásquez: general obligation to prevent the
disappearance and murder of women ............................................................................... 39
B.2. Before the discovery of the body of Claudina Velásquez: specific obligation to prevent
violations of the rights to integrity and life of Claudina Velásquez ......................................... 44
B.3. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 48
VII.II. Rights to judicial guarantees, judicial protection and equality before the law, in
relation to Articles 1(1) and 2 of the American Convention and Article 7 of the
Convention of Belém do Pará, to the detriment of the next of kin of Claudina Velásquez
Paiz ......................................................................................................................... 49
A. Arguments of the Commission and of the parties .................................................... 49
B. Considerations of the Court ..................................................................................... 52
B.1. Irregularities in the investigation following the discovery of the body of Claudina Velásquez
Paiz and subsequent actions of State officials .................................................................... 54
B.2. Lack of due diligence regarding logical lines of investigation, collection and obtaining of
evidence, and reasonable time ......................................................................................... 60
B.3. Discrimination due to stereotyping and an investigation that lacked a gender perspective 62
B.4. General conclusion................................................................................................... 70
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