113. In this case, the State referred to diverse measures or mechanisms implemented to
address the problem of violence against women in Guatemala. The Court notes that the State
mentioned: (i) measures implemented before the facts of this case, that is, before August 2005;
(ii) measures implemented following the facts of the case, 190 and (iii) measures that Guatemala
guarantees have been implemented but regarding which it did not provide clear information on
the dates they were implemented. 191 In order to analyze the first moment of the obligation to
Public policies: National Policy for the Comprehensive Promotion and Development of Women (PNPDIM) and
Equal Opportunities Plan (PEO) 2008-2023.
The Judiciary: Courts with competence for femicide and other forms of violence against women in the
departments of Guatemala, Quetzaltenango and Chiquimula (Supreme Court of Justice, Ruling No. 1-2010);
Unit/Secretariat for Women and Gender Analysis, Decision No. 69-2012 (April 30, 2012); Criminal Trial Courts and
Criminal Sentencing Courts for crimes of femicide and other forms of violence against women in the departments of
Huehuetenango and Alta Verapaz; transformation of the Criminal Trial Court and Criminal Sentencing Courts for crimes
of femicide and other forms of violence against women of the department of Guatemala into a multi-person court;
creation of the Chamber of the Criminal Appeals Court for crimes of femicide and other forms of violence against women
of the department of Guatemala (Ruling 12-2012 of the Supreme Court of Justice of March 8, 2012); Criminal Trial Court
for crimes of femicide and other forms of violence against women (October 2012); Specialized court for women and child
victims (2012); Protocol for initial care in cases of violence against women and sexual crimes in Guatemala City (2008);
Protocol for judicial actions in cases of gender-based violence against women (April 2014).
The Public Prosecution Service: Specific Protocol entitled “General instructions for the criminal investigation of
the crime of femicide” (General Instruction No. 06-2013); the Office for Attention to Victims and the Special Prosecutor’s
Office for Women’s Affairs of the Public Prosecution Service, and the National Institute of Forensic Science (INACIF) have
established a network to expedite and facilitate care for women who have been assaulted; Comprehensive Support
Centers for Women Survivors of Violence (CAIMUS); the Public Criminal Defense Institute provides support during legal
proceedings; use of the Gesell Chamber to avoid re-victimization, safeguard victims, control the evidence and ensure
the right to defense of the accused (December 2, 2009); Unit for Investigating Sexual Offenses (August 1, 2012);
Professional analyst to make a criminological analysis of violence against women with emphasis on sexual violence (July
2015).
The Executive: The Educational Directorate of the Presidential Human Rights Commission (COPREDEH), which
coordinates the Executive’s human rights policies, has implemented diploma courses for public officials and employees
from the Executive and other institutions on the issue of violence against women (2012-2015).
The National Civil Police: The Gender Equality Department has organized workshops for members of the
institution on the Law on femicide and other forms of violence against women (2012 to 2014); the Sub-General
Directorate for the Prevention of Crime has organized workshops for members of civil society on PNC actions to address
violence against women (2012 to 2014); Basic Guidelines for addressing the gender perspective, training for instructors
of the PNC Academy, and the Training Manual on Security and Gender for members of the PNC (2014); Training for
members of the Crime Prevention Committees on violence against women, domestic violence, and gender equality and
equity, among other issues (2014).
The Ministry of the Interior: Special Office for the area of violence against women (October 2013); National
policy for the prevention of violence and crime, public safety and peaceful coexistence (2014-2034).
191
Public policies: National agreement to promote safety and justice; Public policy against people-trafficking and
for the protection of victims; inter-institutional coordination for the implementation of public policies to prevent, punish
and eradicate violence against women. In this regard, the National Coordinating Body for the Prevention, Punishment
and Eradication of Domestic Violence and Violence against Women (CONAPREVI), the Presidential Secretariat for Women
(SEPREM) and the Office for the Defense of Indigenous Women’s Rights (DEMI), in coordination with the Ministry of the
Interior and the congressional Committee for Women’s Affairs have set up the “Technical Group for the life and safety of
women” to coordinate actions and operational plans on the issue; CONAPREVI, SEPREM and DEMI are promoting training
actions and activities to disseminate the Law against Femicide among the population; they are also training agents of
justice, and organizing awareness-raising campaigns on the issue.
The Judiciary: Institutional policy of gender equality and promotion of women’s human rights; childcare centers
for the children of women involved in court cases on the premises of the Judiciary; Commission for Women’s Affairs;
Unit for the control, monitoring and evaluation of the special courts for the crime of femicide and other forms of violence
against women.
The Public Prosecution Service: Special prosecutors exclusively dedicated to the crimes of femicide with a
gender-based crime scene protocol; Regulations for the Comprehensive Care Model (MAI) for cases of domestic violence
and sexual offenses in the metropolitan area; implementation of the Protocol for attending victims of crimes against
sexual liberty, safety and decency in the Offices for Attention to Victims; Prosecutor for Women and Child Victims in
other departments with ethnic and cultural relevance; constant training for the staff of the Public Prosecution Service on
the issue of violence against women and sexual violence; Program of free legal aid for victims of violence and their
families; the Public Defender’s Office; offices that provide legal support to indigenous women, such as the Office for the
Defense of Indigenous Women’s Rights and the National Commission against Racism and Discrimination; incorporation
of interpreters into offices involved in applying justice.
190
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