locked; 202 (b) in testimony of September 18, 1994, before the Second Police Precinct of La Plata, an adolescent denounced that he had been falsely accused, together with another two adolescents, of the murder of Mr. Gutiérrez before the La Plata Investigations Unit of the Police of the province of Buenos Aires and the Roca Division of the Argentine Federal Police (supra para. 45), and been threatened with beatings and death by a federal police agent, and that he “was afraid that they would kill [him] because [he] denounced this” 203 and, on March 7, 1995, he denounced before another court that he and another adolescent had suffered “unlawful coercion and had been beaten “on the right leg and on the stomach” by the above-mentioned federal police agent and another police agent; 204 (c) in a statement of September 22, 1994, before Criminal and Correctional Court No. 5 of La Plata, the male eyewitness identified the perpetrator of the murder as an agent of the Argentine Federal Police (supra para. 45), and the female eyewitness indicated that one of the perpetrators of the murder identified himself as a police agent, showing her a credential and a “metal badge,” 205 and (d) in a statement of September 29, 1994, before the same court, the female eyewitness indicated that she was “terrified and feared for her life and for that of another witness who ha[d] testified in the proceeding” (supra para. 45). 105. Despite the foregoing, there is no evidence in the case file that any measures were taken to determine whether these indications could have been related to the motive for the execution of Mr. Gutiérrez, or to determine whether other State agents could have been involved in this incident. In fact, as indicated by the Inspector who collaborated in the investigation of the execution of Mr. Gutiérrez from the start, the “only motive that […] was mentioned as reasonable at any time […] was never examined thoroughly at either of the two stages of the criminal proceedings.” 206 Similarly, the other Inspector who took part in the investigation stated that “one of the significant versions that was discussed initially was that the murder of Assistant Commissioner Gutiérrez might be related to a bonded warehouse located behind the Avellaneda [Second] Precinct”; however, he did not know why “this lead was never followed up on.” 207 Thus, during this proceeding, it was not possible “to uncover the reason why [Assistant] Commissioner Gutiérrez was killed.” 208 Consequently, the Court finds that the investigation initiated into this act failed to follow up on logical lines of inquiry that had arisen during the investigation. 106. In addition, during the oral proceeding against the federal police agent indicted, conducted by the First Court of the Criminal and Correctional Appeals Chamber of La Plata (supra para. 47), there were also certain omissions in the collection of evidence. In this regard, the Court notes that at least three witnesses did not appear to testify during the proceeding, even though they had been summoned, and that another “was not 202 Cf. Statement of Nilda del Valle Maldonado de Gutiérrez (file of annexes to the pleadings and motions brief, folios 1731 to 1732). 203 Cf. Proceeding 57,927, “[…] Report of unlawful coercion,” National Criminal Court of First Instance No. 32 (file of annexes to the pleadings and motions brief, folios 2097 to 2100). 204 Cf. Proceeding 57,927, “[…] Report of unlawful coercion,” National Criminal Court of First Instance No. 32 (file of annexes to the pleadings and motions brief, folio 2104). In addition, it is recorded in the decision of the First Instance Judge of March 13, 1995, that he had also denounced that the said police agents “obliged him to testify in the case” of Mr. Gutiérrez “by beating him.” 205 Cf. Copy of the statement of the [female eyewitness] given before the judge presiding Criminal and Correctional Court No. 5 of La Plata (file of annexes to the submission brief, folios 112 and 113). 206 Cf. Brief of May 4, 1999, addressed to Transitional Court No. 2 (file of annexes to the pleadings and motions brief, folio 1826-29). 207 Cf. Statement before Transitional Court No. 2 of October 5, 2000 (file of annexes to the submission brief, folios 213 to 217). 208 Cf. Verdict of November 15, 1996, delivered by the First Court of the Criminal and Correctional Appeals Chamber of La Plata (file of annexes to the submission brief, folio 133). 41

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