22 56. Likewise, the Court admits the statement given by Mrs. Irene Ximenes-LopesMiranda before the Court (supra para. 47(1)(a)), insofar as it is in accordance with the object thereof and assesses it as a whole with the rest of the body of evidence. The Court considers that since the above mentioned witness is a next of kin of the alleged victim, her statement cannot be assessed separately for she has a direct interest in the outcome of the case, and therefore, must be assessed as a whole with the rest of the body of evidence. The statements given by the alleged victims´ next of kin may be helpful in that they provide useful information on the alleged violations and the consequences thereof.19 57. The Court considers that the statements given by Francisco das Chagas-Melo (supra para. 47(1)(b)), João Alfredo Teles-Melo (supra para. 47(2)(a)), Luiz Odorico Monteiro-de Andrade (supra para. 47(3)(a)), Pedro Gabriel Godinho-Delgado (supra para. 47(3)(b)), as well as the expert report submitted by Ms. Lídia Dias-Costa (supra para. 47(4)(a)) may be helpful to facilitate the adjudication of the instant case and, therefore, it admits them into the body of evidence, applying thereto the standards of reasonable credit and weight analysis. 58. Therefore, the Court shall assess the evidentiary value of the documents, statements, and expert opinions submitted by the parties. Furthermore, the evidence tendered during the various procedural stages has been admitted as a whole with the rest of the body of evidence in the instant case. VI PRIOR CONSIDERATIONS 59. The Court shall now proceed to rule on: a) the scope of the acknowledgement of international liability made by the State; b) the grounds of the State´s duties within the framework of the State´s liability resulting from the violations to the American Convention, and c) the special attention the States must devote to the persons with mental health disabilities due to their particular vulnerability. a) SCOPE OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LIABILITY MADE BY THE STATE 60. Article 53(2) of the Rules of Procedure provides that [i]f the respondent informs the Court of its acquiescence to the claims of the party that has brought the case as well as to the claims of the representatives of the alleged victims, their next of kin or representatives, the Court, after hearing the opinions of the other parties to the case, shall decide whether such acquiescence and its juridical effects are acceptable. In that event, the Court shall determine the appropriate reparations and indemnities. 61. In the exercise of its adjudicatory jurisdiction, the Inter-American Court applies and interprets the American Convention and, when a case has been Cf. Case of Baldeón-García, supra note 4, para. 66; Case of the Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community, supra note 4, para. 37; and Case of Acevedo-Jaramillo et al, supra note 4, para. 203. 19