the persistent mental and physical effects of the violations suffered,” who “require this
professional treatment, both individually and as a family and, to date, have been unable to
receive it.” In particular, he indicated that Mr. Vélez Restrepo, his wife and their son Mateo
“need to receive individual professional treatment,” because they suffer from “debilitating
physical effects” as a “result of their prolonged situation as victims of grave violations and
as exiles.” In this regard, he asked the Court to order the State to pay the sum of
US$20,000 to Mr. Vélez Restrepo, US$15,000 to Mrs. Román Amariles, and US$15,000 to
Mateo Vélez Román, and he explained that the amounts for this concept “respond to the
geographical and financial realities of the family living in exile in New York, United States.”
268.
The State did not refer specifically to this measure of reparation.
269. The Court considers, as it has done so on other cases, 253 that it is necessary to
determine a measure of reparation that provides adequate treatment for the health
problems suffered by the victims as a result of the violations established in this Judgment.
270. The Court determines that, if the victims express their intention to return to live in
Colombia, in accordance with the time frames established in paragraph 265 of this
Judgment, the State will have the obligation to provide them with immediate, adequate and
effective health care if they request this, free of charge, and by its specialized health care
institutions, including the provision of any medication they may eventually require, also free
of charge, taking into consideration the ailments of each of them. If the State is unable to
do this through its own health care institutions, it must have recourse to specialized private
institutions or institutions of civil society. In addition, the respective treatment must be
provided, insofar as possible, in the centers nearest to their places of residence in Colombia
for all the time necessary.254 When providing the psychological or psychiatric treatment the
specific circumstances and needs of each victim must be considered, so that they are
provided with family or individual treatment, as agreed with each of them following an
individual assessment.255 The victims who request this measure of reparation, or their legal
representatives, must inform the State of their intention to receive psychological or
psychiatric treatment.256
271. If the members of the Vélez Román family decide not to return to live in Colombia,
the Court finds it appropriate that, in order to help cover the costs of health care, the State
must deliver, once and within six months of the date of expiry of the one-year time frame
established in paragraph 265 for the victims to express their intention of whether or not to
return to live in Colombia, the sums of US$20,000 (twenty thousand United States dollars),
US$15,000 (fifteen thousand United States dollars), and US$15,000 (fifteen thousand
United States dollars) to Luis Gonzalo Vélez Restrepo, Aracelly Román Amariles and Mateo
Vélez Román, respectively.
B.3) Satisfaction: publication and dissemination of the Judgment
253
Cf. Case of Cantoral Benavides v. Peru. Reparations and costs, paras. 51(d) to 51(f), 61(a) and 61(c),
eighth operative paragraph, and Case of Contreras et al. v. El Salvador. Merits, reparations and costs, para. 200.
254
Cf. Case of the 19 Tradesmen v. Colombia. Merits, reparations and costs, para. 278, and Case of Pacheco
Teruel et al. v. Honduras. Merits, reparations and costs. Judgment of April 27, 2012 Series C No. 241, para. 116.
255
Cf. Case of the 19 Tradesmen v. Colombia. Merits, reparations and costs, para. 278, and Case of Pacheco
Teruel et al. v. Honduras. Merits, reparations and costs, para. 116.
256
Cf. Case of Fernández Ortega et al. v. Mexico. Preliminary objection, merits, reparations and costs, para.
252, and Case of Pacheco Teruel et al. v. Honduras. Merits, reparations and costs, para. 117.
77