17 chromatic changes of the body but rather indicates that these areas were traumatized before the death. The examination of the photographs does not allow to verify or dismiss possible acts of torture, or to establish the distance or direction of the mortal shot. 4) Juan Carlos Yuste-Alonso, sociologist One-year military service at the Paraguayan Armed Forces is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18 to 50. Compulsory military service is set forth in Article 129 of the Constitution and Law No. 569/75. The minimum age for enlisting in active service is 18 years old, though Section 5 of Law No. 569/75 provides for the recruitment of people under the age of 18 subject to approval by their parents and authorization of a Juvenile Court. However, in practice, authorities do not fulfill this legal requirement when making effective said recruitment. The recruitment of children into the armed forces is a deep-rooted tradition in Paraguay. The celebration of Children’s Day in Paraguay on August 16 includes the exaltation of the figure of “soldier children […] who are sacrificed to their Flag.” The recruitment of children from the early age of 12 is a systematic and historical practice, despite express legal prohibitions and the two orders issued by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces in 1995, which prohibit recruitment of children under the age of 18. The recruitment of children aged 14 is considered by many as a “growth rite” widely accepted by the community and the family. In the 80’s and 90’s, forced recruitment was carried out by recruitment military officers in public places, especially at on-road buses, football fields, nightclubs and rural areas. Most recruited children were born to poor families and Guarani is their only language. These military operations were carried out door-to-door in rural areas, where military officers exerted pressure and instilled terror as a method to invite parents to surrender their children to comply with compulsory military service. Most of the parents who accept and sign the authorization for recruitment of their children are illiterate. Moreover, it should be mentioned that punishment and acts of violence against soldier children are widely accepted and justified in the military environment. Out of 110 cases of dead conscripts registered since 1989, only one case had the perpetrator punished. VII PROVEN FACTS 70. The Court will consider the facts related to the alleged illegal recruitment of the minor Vargas-Areco, his death while in active military service, the proceedings before the military court to establish liability for his death and the status of ordinary judicial proceedings as of March 26, 1993. Said facts have imposed obligations upon the State, which remain valid as of that date. 71. Pursuant to the acknowledgment of liability made by the State (supra paras. 20, 21, 30, 33 and 40 to 64) and pursuant to the body of evidence in the instant case, the Court finds the following facts to be proven.