2 Table of contents I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ..................................................................... 5 II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT ............................................................................................................. 7 III PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................ 9 A. THE STATE’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE FACTS IN THE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION .................................................................................................................................. 9 A.1) ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES AND OF THE COMMISSION........................................................ 9 A.2) CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT................................................................................ 10 B. THE FACTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................. 11 C. DETERMINATION OF THE PRESUMED VICTIMS.................................................................. 12 IV COMPETENCE .................................................................................................................................... 13 V PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS OF LACK OF COMPETENCE AND .................................... 13 FAILURE TO EXHAUST DOMESTIC REMEDIES ...................................................................... 13 A. PRELIMINARY OBJECTION OF LACK OF MATERIAL COMPETENCE IN RELATION TO ARTICLE 7 OF THE CONVENTION OF BELÉM DO PARÁ ............................................................ 13 A.1) ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES AND OF THE COMMISSION .............................................. 13 A.2) CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ........................................................................... 14 B. PRELIMINARY OBJECTION OF FAILURE TO EXHAUST DOMESTIC REMEDIES ................. 15 B.1) ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES AND THE COMMISSION ......................................................... 15 B.2) CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT................................................................................ 16 VI EVIDENCE ................................................................................................................................................. 17 A. DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE, STATEMENTS OF THE PRESUMED VICTIMS, AND TESTIMONIAL AND EXPERT EVIDENCE ....................................................................................... 17 B. ADMISSION OF THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE ................................................................ 17 C. EVIDENCE OBTAINED BY THE COURT EX OFFICIO ............................................................ 18 D. ADMISSION OF THE STATEMENT OF THE PRESUMED VICTIMS, AND TESTIMONIAL AND EXPERT EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY AFFIDAVIT .......................................................................... 20 E. ADMISSION OF THE STATEMENT OF THE PRESUMED VICTIM AND EXPERT EVIDENCE PROVIDED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING .......................................................................................... 22 VII FACTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 A. CONTEXT................................................................................................................................ 23 A.1) INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 23 A.2) THE EVIDENCE ON THE CONTEXTUAL SITUATION ......................................................... 24 A.3) HOMICIDAL VIOLENCE IN GUATEMALA IN 2001 AND ITS SPECIFICITY AND EVOLUTION IN RELATION TO WOMEN VICTIMS ...................................................................................... 25 A.4) THE STATE’S ACTIONS IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF WOMEN ...................... 29 B. THE FACTS OF THE CASE ...................................................................................................... 33 B.1) MARÍA ISABEL VELIZ FRANCO.................................................................................... 33 B.2) REPORT OF DISAPPEARANCE AND INITIAL STEPS ............................................................... 34 B.3) SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS ............................................................................................ 38 VIII RIGHTS TO LIFE, PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND PERSONAL LIBERTY, IN RELATION TO THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, AND THE OBLIGATIONS TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION, AND TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ........................................................................................................ 47 A. ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE PARTIES ............................................... 47 B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ...................................................................................... 49 B.1) GUARANTEE OBLIGATIONS .................................................................................... 50 B.1.1. Existence of a dangerous situation for María Isabel Veliz Franco ....................... 54