164. The Court has stated that it is of paramount importance to the family members to receive the body of a person who has been forcibly disappeared, because it allows them to bury this according to their beliefs, as well as to close the grieving process they have been experiencing over the years. 247 In addition, the Court recalls that it has considered that the State authorities’ constant refusal to provide information on the whereabouts of victims or to open an effective investigation to clarify what happened increases the suffering of the next of kin. 248 In this regard, the Court notes the additional suffering of Edgar Fernando García’s wife, daughter, and mother due to the absence of an effective and diligent investigation, as well as the uncertainty about the whereabouts of their husband, father, and son. 165. In addition, the Court observes that, in the years following the start of the disappearance of Edgar Fernando García, the victim’s family suffered additional circumstances that increased the harm to their mental integrity, such as social isolation and the stigmatization associated with having a disappeared family member. Thus, during the public hearing, Mrs. Montenegro Cottom said that, as a result of Edgar Fernando García’s disappearance and the search for justice, there had been “a systematic campaign to discredit and denigrate [her that] ha[d] a serious impact […] because it isolated [them], it marginalized [them], it made [them] seem to be subversives, liars, mad, [they] lost friends, relatives; it was as though [they] were social lepers; people did not want to approach [them] and [her] own daughter […] could never have friends.” 249 Similarly, Alejandra stated that the events “made many people close to [them] fearful and they chose to keep away even though […] in some cases this was a member of the family.” She also indicated that, during her childhood, she was rejected at school for being the “daughter of the member of the guerrilla” and the daughter of an “unmarried mother.” 250 166. Similarly, the Court notes that the events have had consequences for the development of Mr. García’s daughter Alexandra, who was in her infancy at the time of the disappearance and, therefore, had to grow up in an environment dedicated to the search for justice, and of suffering and uncertainty owing to the failure to determine her father’s whereabouts. 251 Thus, the Court notes that Alejandra García stated that her limited involvement in the search for justice during her childhood had made her feel guilty (supra para. 87). 167. Based on the above, the Court considers it has been proved that the existing circumstances have given rise to feelings of sadness, frustration, helplessness, insecurity and anxiety for the members of the victim’s family. Consequently, the Court finds that the State has violated the right to personal integrity established in Article 5(1) and 5(2) of the 247 Cf. Case of the Las Dos Erres Massacre v. Guatemala, supra note 166, para. 245, and Case of Gomes Lund et al. (Guerrilha do Araguaia) v. Brazil, supra note 53, para. 261. 248 Cf. Case of Blake v. Guatemala. Merits, supra note 296, para. 114, and Case of Contreras et al. v. El Salvador, supra note 51, para. 123. 249 Testimony given by Nineth Varenca Montenegro Cottom before the Inter-American Court during the public hearing in this case. 250 804). Affidavit prepared by Alejandra García Montenegro on April 20, 2012 (merits file, tome II, folios 803 and 251 Affidavit prepared by Alejandra García Montenegro on April 20, 2012 (merits file, tome II, folios 800 to 810); testimony given by Nineth Varenca Montenegro Cottom before the Inter-American Court during the public hearing in this case. Note entitled “Carta abierta a quienes tengan en su poder a mi papito Edgar Fernando García” (file of annexes to the Merits Report, tome I, annex 19, folio 227), paid space in El Gráfico publishing a letter from Nineth Varenca Montenegro Cottom to Edgar Fernando García on July 18, 1985 (file of annexes to the Merits Report, tome I, annex 24, folio 241), and announcement paid by Nineth Montenegro, entitled “En el día del padre a un secuestrado Edgar Fernando García” (file of annexes to the Merits Report, tome I, annex 24, folio 242). 59