- 14this regard, in its “Report […] on the forced disappearance of the children, Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz, its current impunity and the pattern of violence in which these disappearances occurred” of September 2, 2004, the Ombudsman's Office stated that: […] given the actions of the prosecutor and the judge, which attempted to disprove the existence of the sisters, Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz, and attribute a pecuniary motive to their mother, María Victoria Cruz Franco; notwithstanding that, since it began hearing the case in 1996, this Institution has considered their existence indisputable[.] 174. The State has not only doubted the authenticity of the information in the documents issued by the respective parishes, but also, by questioning the very existence of the sisters, it has raised doubts about whether they have the given name and surnames that their parents gave them when they were born, with which they were registered in the respective mayors' offices by their mother and with which, according to the latter and their siblings, they were known by their family and social circles. The right to a name grants a person individual subjectivity, and his or her place in society. Taking away a name, by denying it, results in a direct and constant affecting of the right to identity, which will only cease when a person recovers their name and, with it, part of their identity. 175. In view of the foregoing, the Court considers that the State has questioned the existence of the sisters, Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz, has not adopted the necessary measures to determine their whereabouts and re-establish their given name and surnames, or given them the possibility of doing so. Also, the State has denied the relationship of the next of kin with Ernestina and Erlinda, and has not carried out a diligent investigation that would allow the next of kin to know the truth about what befell Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz and their whereabouts. * * * 176. Family relations and co-existence, and also the given name and surnames of a person, are essential for forming and preserving the identity of the individual. These elements of the right to identity are essential for both the children and the adult members of a family, given that the identity of each of the members affects and has an influence on that of the others, and also on their relationship with society and with the State. 177. The State is obliged to adopt all necessary measures to discover the fate of the Serrano Cruz sisters and to re-establish their given name and surnames, or to grant them the possibility of doing this, so that they know the truth about their origins, their history, their nationality, who their parents were, and their existing family relations, which could be re-established, even if the sisters are abroad. In this regard, the Court considers it essential that the State adopt all necessary measures to ensure that, should they be found alive, the Serrano Cruz sisters are informed that their mother was looking for them until she died and that their living siblings are still trying to find them (supra para. 48(83)). 178. In view of the foregoing, the Court considers that El Salvador has violated the right to identity of Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz and of their next of kin, by violating the rights to the protection of the family and to a name, because it did not adopt appropriate measures to trace and find Ernestina and Erlinda Serrano Cruz and, should they be found alive, ensure their reunification with their next of kin and their recovery of their family relations, and also, if applicable and should they so