26 He was eventually sent back to the Center because he was a marked man. In other words, every time something happened, the police looked for him and grabbed him, for something about which he knew nothing. “They do that to all of us.” That’s why he is afraid. When Julio Duarte went to see him in Itauguá, he told him in Guaraní that he was an attorney in the matter of the fire and that they were going to get a great deal of money; “if the case goes to trial, you will be going to Costa Rica.” Pedro Iván Peña told him that without his attorney he wouldn’t say anything. This episode frightened him, so that he told his sister. He is in need of help; he will never get ahead because there is no work. He has much ahead of him and does not lose hope. He would like to be a doctor one day; he wants to help society, his neighbor who needs help. There are many innocents suffering in prison; some never have visitors. They get released and are thrown right back into prison again. He asked the Court for an operation, and to help him because he wanted to become a doctor. He also needs work and wants to study, as he is still young. Furthermore, as he cannot move his hand, he would like to have it corrected. Finally, he asked for protection, because he is frightened and is not safe. b) Testimony of Raúl Esteban Portillo, former inmate at the Center The witness was 16 when he was placed in the Center. He was taken from the police station directly to the Center. His family was not notified. When he arrived, the guards used their nightsticks to beat him in the face, on the hands and on the feet. He was in the Center for 7 months the first time, and 8 days the second time. The guards beat the inmates in an underground cell that had shackles on the wall. They put them there and beat them on the hands, feet and face. They brought them water, beat them for an hour and left them there for two hours. When he was beaten, he came down with a fever for nine days, but was never attended by a physician. Some inmates fought over food because they were hungry. The cellblocks were approximately 6 meters by 3 meters and each housed between 20 and 25 inmates. There were around 500 people at the Center. The cellblock he was assigned to housed some inmates who had already been convicted; his own trial was still pending. They cleaned the floor. There was no ventilation, but there was light. The bathroom was filthy, and had only one shower, but no hot water or towels. They did not provide them with clothing or the necessities for personal hygiene. He walked around barefoot. The food was not good and he got sick from it. The inmates themselves prepared the food, as the cook only prepared meals for the guards. When the press or human rights observers came, the cook prepared the food. There was no grade for him in the school, as it only went as far as the second grade and he was in sixth grade. However, he went to classes for two hours every day to pass the time. There was a library, but it wasn’t for the inmates. He didn’t learn any trade; the only thing he learned was how to steal, how to smoke and how to take drugs. The guards sold the marijuana, alcohol and pills. They made them