PBI-Guatemala accompanies Human Rights Law Firm at court hearing on Hogar Seguro fire where eight officials are accused of crimes
PBI-Guatemala has posted:
“Today #PBIaccompanies the Human Rights Law Firm to a hearing of the #HogarSeguro case.
The case concerns the fire that occurred on March 8, 2017, inside Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción, where 41 girls died and 15 were seriously injured. There are 8 people who have been charged for these facts.
In the hearing a witness proposed by the defense and who at that time exercised a role of president of Juvenile Deprivation of Liberty Centers of the Social Welfare Secretariat was presented. During his statement he affirmed that he was not present when the events took place and that he did not see the alleged threats made by the adolescents against the staff of the Hogar Seguro, affirming that the situation was under control when he arrived.
Next May 8, the debate stage will conclude with the last witnesses of the case to give way to the conclusions.”
Photo inside the court room. Photo by Verdad y Justicia en Guatemala.
Soy 502 also reports:
“Eight years have passed since the tragedy in which the minors were under the protection of the State of Guatemala and the families of the victims are still waiting for justice to be done.
In January 2024, the trial began against eight former officials, whom the Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses of several crimes. The oral and public debate has lasted for several months, in which the Prosecutor’s Office against the crime of Femicide has presented testimonial, documentary and expert evidence related to the case.
The trial is about to enter the last phase, it is expected that in April the conclusions of the trial will be issued and that at the latest, in May, the Seventh Court will issue a sentence.
[The eight people accused of crimes include] Carlos Rodas, who served as Secretary of Social Welfare, for the crimes of breach of duty, abuse of authority, culpable homicide and culpable injuries [and] Luis Armando Pérez Borja, former deputy commissioner of the PNC [National Civil Police].
The Prosecutor’s Office hopes that with all the evidence presented, a conviction will be achieved against the former officials indicated.
“In total there are 56 victims, 41 deceased and 15 survivors, minors, who received inhumane treatment by the authorities who were supposed to ensure their well-being. Many adolescents came to that Home because they were victims in their environments or because their responsible adults needed government support,” said one of the prosecutors who investigated the case from the beginning.”
Accompaniment
PBI-Guatemala has accompanied this court process over these years.
They have highlighted: “PBI began to accompany Édgar Pérez Archila [who founded the Human Rights Law Firm] in August 2010, due to several security incidents Edgar had faced in relation to the high profile judicial processes he was working on. At the end of 2013, we extended the accompaniment to the other lawyers of the Human Rights Law Firm (BDH) who work in high-profile trials to fight against impunity and in defending criminalised human rights defenders.”
Further reading: PBI-Guatemala observes commemoration of the lives lost in the Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asuncion shelter fire (September 2019).
0 Comments