Scientific Department.67 Initially, Jorge Rolando Velásquez Durán opposed fingerprints being
taken, but he was advised that, if he did not allow this, “he would be accused of obstruction of
justice and the investigation and that, if Claudina Isabel’s case should reach the trial stage, this
could be affected if there was no record of the identification of her body.” Following these
clarifications and on the advice of a lawyer, friend of the family, he agreed to fingerprints being
taken. At her father’s request, Claudina Velásquez’s body was taken to a private area of the
funeral home for this purpose.68
63.
Report of the Guatemalan Voluntary Fire Service. On August 13, 2005, two members of
the Guatemalan Voluntary Fire Service went to the place where the body of Claudina Velásquez
was found. On September 6, 2005, a report on the incident was drawn up and forwarded to the
prosecutor.69 Also, in a statement made before the assistant prosecutor on December 6, 2005,
one of the members of the Voluntary Fire Service added information on the findings made at the
crime scene.70
64.
Investigation reports. The investigation has been headed by the respective prosecutor
with collaboration from the investigators of the Unit to Combat Murders of Women of the
Criminal Investigation Service and the investigators of the PNC Special Criminal Investigation
Division, as well as the criminal investigation experts and investigators of the Criminal
Investigation Department of the Public Prosecution Service. In the course of their activities and
functions, they have all prepared diverse investigation reports advising that they had carried out
numerous interviews, inquiries, on-site inspections, sketches, planimetry, photographs and onsite procedures that had all been documented. They also made suggestions and comments in
this regard. These reports are as follows:
a) On August 13, 22 and 25, 2005,71 the investigator of the Unit to Combat Murders of
Women of the PNC Criminal Investigation Service forwarded investigation reports on
actions taken up until that time to the prosecutor;
b) On August 23 and September 19, 2005, and July 18, 2008, respectively, the Criminal
Investigations Expert of the Public Prosecution Service forwarded to the assistant
prosecutor, the photographic album, the sketch of the crime scene and 10 discarded
photographs of the crime scene taken on August 13, 2005.72 Also, on August 16 and 19,
October 14 and November 4, 2005, December 5, 2008, September 17, 2010, August 4,
10, 25, 26 and 30 and September 27, 2011, January 12 and 20, February 2, April 27 and
August 27, 2012, September 22 and October 1, 2013, and January 30, 2014, the
criminal investigation experts prepared investigation reports, which they sent to the
assistant prosecutor;73
Cf. Report of the Criminal Investigations Expert of the Public Prosecution Service of August 16, 2005 (evidence
file, folio 59), and Resolution of the Ombudsman of July 20, 2006 (evidence file, folio 124).
68
Cf. Statement made by Jorge Rolando Velásquez Durán during the public hearing held on April 21 and 22,
2015, before the Inter-American Court; Statement by Jorge Rolando Velásquez Durán of January 24, 2006, before the
assistant prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Service (evidence file, folios 3875 and 3876); Psychiatric assessment of
Jorge Rolando Velásquez Durán of October 21, 2009 (evidence file, folio 199); Psychiatric assessment of Elsa Claudina
Paiz Vidal of December 2, 2010 (evidence file, folio 206).
69
Cf. Record No. 828.09.2005, of the Guatemalan Voluntary Fire Service of September 6, 2005 (evidence file,
folio 33).
70
Cf. Statement made by a volunteer firefighter before the assistant prosecutor on December 6, 2005 (evidence
file, folio 3859).
71
Cf. Reports of the investigator of the Unit to Combat Murders of Women of the PNC Criminal Investigation
Service of August 13, 22 and 25, 2005 (evidence file, folios 68 to 71, 2901 to 2905 and 4986 to 4993).
72
Cf. Letters of the Criminal Investigations Expert of August 23 and September 19, 2005, and July 18, 2008
(evidence file, folios 2795 to 2805, 4611 to 4612, and 4153 to 4158).
73
Cf. Reports of the Criminal Investigations Expert of the Public Prosecution Service of 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011
and 2012 (evidence file, folios 56 to 57, 2893 to 2895, 4636, 4641 to 4644, 4877 to 4883, 3216 to 3217, 5308 to 5310,
67
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