Mexico
12.03.02
Urgent Interventions
Mexico: 17 year-old girl threatened, beaten and sexually abused
CHILD CONCERN
Case MEX 110302.CC
Threat of extrajudicial killing/Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received information from a reliable source, on the violent attack on February 16th, 2002, inflicted on the youth Valentina Rosendo Cantu, indigenous of the Barranco Bejuco community, Municipality of Acatepec, Guerrero, 17-year old, wife of Mr. Fidel Bernardino Sierra and mother to a 3-month old baby.
According to the information received, the girl was washing clothes in a stream about 200 meters from her home, when four soldiers of the Mexican Federal army turned up and asked her for the “encapuchados”. When she answered that she did not know anything about them, one soldier pointed his gun to her chest, while another showed her a photo, and asked her to recognize the person, and a list with 11 names, demanding that she inform them whether she knew any of the persons. The girl answered that she did not know anyone.
Immediately after, the soldier who was aiming the gun at her, allegedly hit her on the chest using the butt of his gun. The girl fainted and fell to the ground, hitting her face with a stone. The soldiers pulled her up from the floor by the hair and threatened to kill the whole town if she did not inform them about the whereabouts of these individuals. When she answered that she was not from that community, she was beaten again and after throwing her to the ground the soldiers sexually abused her.
After the incident, Valentina Rosendo returned home and together with her husband went to see the municipal delegate, Mr. Ezequiel Sierra Morales, to inform him of the occurred. They then went to the Health Clinic in the community of Caxitepec, to have her injuries examined, and asked for a certificate and a prescription but the doctor refused to grant them these because he was afraid of the soldiers. Consequently, they went to the General Hospital of Ayutla, Guerrero, where the girl was diagnosed as having abdominal traumatism and haemorrhages due to the beating she had received.
According to the information received, the soldiers belong to the troops of the Mexican Federal Army that are settled in a camping site in the Mexcaltepec locality, Municipality of Acatepec, and who have been marauding and committing grave violations against the different communities of the Municipality of Acatepec.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical, psychological and sexual integrity of Valentina Rosendo. The OMCT recalls that Mexican State has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and therefore has to abide by its articles. In particular Article 37 according to which “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
Action Requested
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical, psychological, and sexual integrity of Valentina Rosendo, as well as the physical, psychological, and sexual integrity of the inhabitants of the Barranca de Bejuco Community in particular, and of all other indigenous communities of the Municipality of Acatepec;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of this incident in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee adequate reparation, including physical and psychological recovery, to Valentina Rosendo, and ensure her social reintegration;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada, Presidente de la República Mexicana, México Distrito Federal, Fax: 52-555-277 23 76, Email: radio@presidencia.gob.mx
General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, Procurador General de la República, Av.Reforma, esq. Violeta, Col Guerrero México DF, CP 06300 México / DF México, Fax: 52 555 626 44 26, Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
Dr. José Luis Sobenares Fernández, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Periféco Sur 3469, Col. San Jerónimo Lidice, CP 10200 México / Df México, Fax: 52 555 681 71 99.
Lic. Juan Alarcon Hernández, Presidente Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guerrero, Av. Juárez, Esq. Galo Soberon y Parra, Centro, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, México, coddehum@prodigy.net.mx
Emb. Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi, Embajadora Especial de Derechos Humanos y Democracia, Fax: 52 5327 30 45, Email: macosta@sre.gob.mx
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, 11th March 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case MEX 110302.CC
Threat of extrajudicial killing/Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received information from a reliable source, on the violent attack on February 16th, 2002, inflicted on the youth Valentina Rosendo Cantu, indigenous of the Barranco Bejuco community, Municipality of Acatepec, Guerrero, 17-year old, wife of Mr. Fidel Bernardino Sierra and mother to a 3-month old baby.
According to the information received, the girl was washing clothes in a stream about 200 meters from her home, when four soldiers of the Mexican Federal army turned up and asked her for the “encapuchados”. When she answered that she did not know anything about them, one soldier pointed his gun to her chest, while another showed her a photo, and asked her to recognize the person, and a list with 11 names, demanding that she inform them whether she knew any of the persons. The girl answered that she did not know anyone.
Immediately after, the soldier who was aiming the gun at her, allegedly hit her on the chest using the butt of his gun. The girl fainted and fell to the ground, hitting her face with a stone. The soldiers pulled her up from the floor by the hair and threatened to kill the whole town if she did not inform them about the whereabouts of these individuals. When she answered that she was not from that community, she was beaten again and after throwing her to the ground the soldiers sexually abused her.
After the incident, Valentina Rosendo returned home and together with her husband went to see the municipal delegate, Mr. Ezequiel Sierra Morales, to inform him of the occurred. They then went to the Health Clinic in the community of Caxitepec, to have her injuries examined, and asked for a certificate and a prescription but the doctor refused to grant them these because he was afraid of the soldiers. Consequently, they went to the General Hospital of Ayutla, Guerrero, where the girl was diagnosed as having abdominal traumatism and haemorrhages due to the beating she had received.
According to the information received, the soldiers belong to the troops of the Mexican Federal Army that are settled in a camping site in the Mexcaltepec locality, Municipality of Acatepec, and who have been marauding and committing grave violations against the different communities of the Municipality of Acatepec.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical, psychological and sexual integrity of Valentina Rosendo. The OMCT recalls that Mexican State has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and therefore has to abide by its articles. In particular Article 37 according to which “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
Action Requested
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical, psychological, and sexual integrity of Valentina Rosendo, as well as the physical, psychological, and sexual integrity of the inhabitants of the Barranca de Bejuco Community in particular, and of all other indigenous communities of the Municipality of Acatepec;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of this incident in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee adequate reparation, including physical and psychological recovery, to Valentina Rosendo, and ensure her social reintegration;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada, Presidente de la República Mexicana, México Distrito Federal, Fax: 52-555-277 23 76, Email: radio@presidencia.gob.mx
General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, Procurador General de la República, Av.Reforma, esq. Violeta, Col Guerrero México DF, CP 06300 México / DF México, Fax: 52 555 626 44 26, Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
Dr. José Luis Sobenares Fernández, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Periféco Sur 3469, Col. San Jerónimo Lidice, CP 10200 México / Df México, Fax: 52 555 681 71 99.
Lic. Juan Alarcon Hernández, Presidente Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guerrero, Av. Juárez, Esq. Galo Soberon y Parra, Centro, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, México, coddehum@prodigy.net.mx
Emb. Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi, Embajadora Especial de Derechos Humanos y Democracia, Fax: 52 5327 30 45, Email: macosta@sre.gob.mx
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, 11th March 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.