12 42(16) at approximately 8:00 o’clock on the morning of July 18, 1982, two 105 mm caliber mortar grenades were fired into the community of Plan de Sánchez, and they fell to the east and west of the village; 42(17) between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon, a commando of roughly 60 persons arrived at Plan de Sánchez, including members of the army, military commissioners, “judiciales,”9 civil informers and patrol members, wearing military uniforms and with assault rifles. Some members of the commando kept watch on the entrance and exit points to and from the community, stopping the inhabitants who were returning from Rabinal to their communities, and others went door by door rounding up the townspeople. At that time, several people were able to hide, especially the men, as they believed that they would not go after the women and the boys and girls. Some witnesses identified “judiciales” Francisco Orrego, Carlos Orrego and Santos Rosales and two of the military officers in charge of the patrol, Captain Solares and Lieutenant Díaz. The officers were stationed at the Cobán base. Some members of the army were from Concul, Plan de Sánchez and Xococ. The “judiciales” were from Pachalum, Pichec, and Rabinal; 42(18) the girls and young women were taken to one place, while the older women, the men and the boys were gathered at another. Roughly twenty girls between the ages of 12 and 20 were taken to a house where they were mistreated, raped, and murdered. The other boys and girls were separated and beaten to death; 42(19) other detained persons were forced to gather in another house and in its yard. About 5:00 p.m., members of the commando threw two hand grenades into the house and then fired indiscriminately against the persons there; 42(20) inhabitants of the village of Plan de Sánchez and neighboring communities heard gunshots for over two hours, until 8:00 p.m. Afterwards, members of the commando set fire to the house and to the bodies of the murdered persons in the yard. The commando remained at Plan de Sánchez until close to 11:00 p.m. and returned to Rabinal; 42(21) approximately 268 persons were executed in the massacre, most of them members of the Maya achí people and some non-indigenous individuals who lived in other neighboring communities such as Chipuerta, Joya de Ramos, Raxjut, Volcanillo, Coxojabaj, Las Tunas, Las Minas, Las Ventanas, Ixchel, Chiac, Concul and Chichupac;10 With respect to events after the Plan de Sánchez Massacre 42(22) on the morning of July 19, 1982, the residents who had not been there that day or who had escaped returned to the village of Plan de Sánchez and found the house that had been burned still smolderig and most of the corpses unrecognizable. 9 The representatives of the victims and their next of kin pointed out in the brief with pleadings, motions, and evidence that “the ‘judiciales’ were originally an investigative corps of the Police. Although they ceased to exist officially as a corps before the massacre stated in our petition, they nevertheless continued to function and were associated with the Military Intelligence Department. Since the communities in this municipality are very small, most of the “Judiciales” are known to all as they also threaten and intimidate people openly and with complete impunity.” 10 This figure was given by the Commission and the representatives of the victims and their next of kin; however, it is not a definitive one, given the difficulties that they pointed out regarding establishment of the figures.