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conducting that investigation. Its result was the presentation, on December 29,
1993, of a preliminary report on disappearances in Honduras, entitled “Los Hechos
Hablan por sí Mismos.” That report documented 184 cases and established the
pattern of activities. The cases deemed typical of forms of disappearance included
that of Juan Humberto Sánchez. It differed somewhat from the general pattern
because his body was found, after having been illegally detained. The case of Juan
Humberto Sánchez, even though it was in 1992, followed the same pattern of
executions that was established throughout most of the decade of the 1980s. To his
knowledge, at the time of the facts both military forces, the Tenth Battalion and the
territorial forces, were in the area and Juan Humberto Sánchez was first detained by
the Tenth Battalion, but he was then released. Then the territorial forces came.
They must have known what happened to him.
i)
Expert opinion by Deborah S. Munczek, psychologist,
She conducted a study for the organization called COFADEH on the psychosocial
effects of disappearances and political assassinations on the surviving next of kin,
based on various types of evidence and working with the persons affected by them
who came to the organization.
In 1992, she was present when the mother of Juan Humberto Sánchez came to
COFADEH and shared with her a few days. Some time later, she visited the area and
met other next of kin of Juan Humberto.
With respect to the mother, she recalls that she could hardly talk, she was in a
shock. In that type of situations, what must be done is to accompany the person and
help her face reality. A death in and of itself is difficult to overcome, but even more
so when it is violent and, furthermore, at the hands of the State. In face of
impunity, there are feelings of injustice and powerlessness. There are states of
depression, and instead of the process of grieving, this can become a permanent
state. She said that María Dominga Sánchez was extremely affected and still is.
While she had faced tragedies throughout her life, as she lost two children and her
first husband in nine months, the death of Juan Humberto affected her to a greater
extent, because as she said “it was men who killed him,” and it was not “in the
hands of God,” as the previous events had been. The expert deemed that a
significant fact that affects María Dominga is the impossibility of burying her child
“like a Christian.” She continues to suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
With respect to the daughter, Domitila, she considers that she too was very
much affected, although in a different manner. She remembers the raid on her
house quite vividly. The greatest impact was the reaction of her mother and father,
who became ill and could not be her support. The children had to work, and Domitila
stated: “before they worked for us, and afterwards we worked for them.” She
continues to suffer the economic consequences, as she had to give up her job to
attend the Court hearings, and she had to leave her child in the care of her sister,
who also had to give up her job to help her.
With respect to the father, Juan José Vijil, while she did not interview him,
apparently he suffered psychosis, paranoia, and loss of memory. He is not in normal
conditions, he has distanced himself from reality, and for financial reasons it was not
possible to give him medical treatment.
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