64.
In addition, it is essential to examine the subjective characteristics of the individual
who has expresses his consent, such as age, level of education, and intellectual capacity
among other conditions that could possibly interfere in his free acquiescence.
65.
Lastly, free consent cannot be conditioned to any peripheral circumstance, as when
the authority makes “promises” if the individual authorizes the house raid.
66.
In light of the preceding considerations and arguments, we conclude that any
intervention in the fundamental right of the inviolability of the home, which encompasses
many other intrinsic rights to intimacy and privacy, should be limited by the observance
of two basic precepts: the principles of legal reserve and of proportionality, which together
legitimize a specific coercive measure taken by the police authorities.
67.
In light of the importance and magnitude of this issue, specific parameters should
be determined for authorizing the entry of state agents into private homes, especially in
situations of flagrante delicto. The authorities must be guided by the fact that there is a
need to carefully examine the situation of flagrante delicto a posteriori to ensure that the
occurrence of a crime within the residence was verified before the raid took place. Also, in
relation to the resident’s consent to the entry into his home of state agents, it is mandatory
that this consent be spontaneous and free of coercion.
68.
The foregoing is aimed at regulating and establishing standards for the actions of
public agents related to house raids, seeking to put an end to abuses, particularly those
that occur during police operations, and also to regulate the lawful entry into a private
home to ensure that measures are not taken that violate fundamental human rights,
especially those of women and children.
Conclusion
69.
The judgment delivered by the Court in the instant case makes an in-depth
examination of the international responsibility of the State in light of the Convention for
the violations committed in the context of the criminal prosecution of the victims.
70.
The purpose of this opinion has been to show that nighttime house raids are
incompatible with the Convention and with this Court’s standards, and are admissible only
in absolutely exceptional situations and, above all, when they are clearly and distinctly
established in the Constitution or the law. Furthermore, they require enhanced
substantiation justifying why the measure cannot be conducted during the daytime. In
other words, States should not consider that nighttime raids are routine criminal
prosecution procedures, freely available to operators of justice; rather, they are
instruments that constitute one of the most serious interventions in the sphere of
individual rights. Therefore, nighttime raids can only be justified by strict observance of
the requirements of both lawfulness and proportionality in all their dimensions.
Nancy Hernández López
Judge
Rodrigo Mudrovitsch
Judge
Pablo Saavedra Alessandri
Registrar
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