Claudina Velásquez: A Law Student's Tragic Death Remains Unsolved
Posted on: 01/08/07

"I think it's really important that each and every one of the people who sent us a card know how successful it's been, and how grateful we are."
Jorge Velásquez, Claudina Velásquez’ father, in response to over 10,000 cards sent to his family in solidarity.

Profile

Claudina Velásquez was a 19-year old university student studying to become a lawyer. She left her home in Guatemala City on August 12, 2005 to go to university. This was the last time her family saw her alive. Her body was found the next day; she had been shot and traces of semen were found on her body. Forensic doctors carried out basic tests, but more in-depth testing of key parts of the crime seen was not done. The authorities did not further investigate some important evidence, such as testing the primary suspects to see if they had recently fired a gun.

In Guatemala, the blame for the crime is often placed on the victim’s behaviour or background. Claudina Velásquez’ father told Amnesty International, “The investigator said they thought Claudina was a nobody because she was wearing sandals and a belly button ring.” Claudina Velásquez’ family continued to push for justice in her case, and in November 2005, the problems with the investigation were recognized by Guatemalan authorities. The case was taken over by the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office on Crimes against Life.

The forensic doctor who carried out the autopsy on Claudina Velásquez had improperly recorded her as an unidentified person, and later was sentenced to 20 days’ suspension, which has not yet been carried out. The mistakes and poor initial investigation of the crime mean that it is very unlikely that those responsible for Claudina Velásquez death are unlikely to be found.

Please write a letter calling for justice for missing and murdered women in Guatemala like Claudina Velásquez.

Sample Letter:

Dear President ,

I am deeply concerned about the increasing number of women and girls who have been brutally murdered in Guatemala, and the flawed investigations into these crimes. I urge you to ensure that the investigation into the murder of Claudina Velazquez is conducted in a coordinated, full and effective manner, so that those found to be responsible may be brought to justice without further delay. Steps must be taken to improve the investigation process into the cases of missing and murdered women and girls in Guatemala. Legislation that discriminates against women and girls must be removed or revised.

Write to:

Presidente de la República de Guatemala
Licenciado Oscar Berger Perdomo
Casa Presidencial, 6a. Avenida, 4-18 Zona 1.
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala

Tips for Letter-Writing: Use the sample letter above or write your own letter if you prefer. You can mention Amnesty International in your letter. Solidarity action for this case is available. 

Amnesty International’s Concerns

Unfortunately, Claudina Velásquez’ case is not unique. It is part of a pattern of poor police investigations into violent acts committed against women in Guatemala. Poor investigations result in few perpetrators being brought to justice. This creates a climate of acceptance and allows the number of crimes to increase. According to police records, 581 women were killed in 2006, compared with 531 in 2005, and 527 in 2004. Many of the women were killed in ways that demonstrated gender specific violence; cases of women killed in 2006 continued to show sexual violence, torture and exceptional brutality.

There has been little progress to improve cooperation among state institutions, including the Ministry of the Interior (responsible for the police), the Judicial System and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. While there have been some positive steps made by the government, regarding the collection and processing of forensic evidence, these have failed to have a real impact so far. In September 2006, the Congress of Guatemala passed a law creating the National Forensic Institute (Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses-INACIF), a key step towards better investigation and prosecution of these crimes. However, to date, INACIF does not have a budget and has not been established due to lack of funds.

In 2005, Article 200 of the Guatemalan Penal Code was suspended. This Article waived criminal responsibility for rape and crimes of sexual violence where the victim was over 12 years old and the perpetrator married the victim. While this Article is still suspended, other legislative change has not been made. The Draft Law 2630, which contains proposals to reform the Penal Code regarding violence against women, was presented to Congress in 2002. Though the Draft Law 2630 has been through three Congressional sub-committees, it has not advanced to full Congressional approval.

Amnesty’s Involvement

In June 2005, Amnesty International published a report No Protection, no justice: killings of women in Guatemala to highlight the murder of women and girls in Guatemala. This report presented the discrimination that lies at the heart of gender-based violence experienced by women in Guatemalan society and some of the laws, and investigative and judicial practices that perpetuate such discrimination.

Amnesty International has continually campaigned on Claudina Velásquez’ case, to ensure that those responsible for her death, and those responsible for poor investigation into her case are brought to justice. The Velásquez Family has also been part of Amnesty International’s Greeting Card Campaign, in which solidarity cards are sent to human rights defenders, victims, and families to share messages of support. Amnesty International Canada has highlighted a number of cases, including this one, on the killings of women in Guatemala as part of our Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.