Chile's Supreme Court upholds prison sentence for former officer over double homicide during military regime
The Supreme Court validated a conviction against a former Carabineros member for the murder of two people in 1973 in Santiago.
Chile's Supreme Court upholds prison sentence for former officer over double homicide during military regime
Chile's highest court of justice upheld the sentence of fifteen years' imprisonment imposed on a former Carabineros officer, recognised as the perpetrator of the murder of two people during the de facto government.
The victims were identified as José Andrés García Lazo, a 29-year-old television professional, and Jorge Rodrigo Muñoz, an 18-year-old student. The incident occurred on 18 September 1973 in the country's capital, according to the evidence gathered by the magistrate responsible for investigating violations of fundamental rights, Paola Plaza.
On the night of the incident, both had participated in patriotic celebrations and were returning to Muñoz's home when a curfew was in effect. A resident of the area accused them of causing public disorder. Uniformed personnel arrived at the location, removed them from inside the house, forced them to lie on the ground in the street and shot them. Afterwards, their lifeless bodies were thrown into the waterway from an elevated structure known as the Zanjón de la Aguada bridge.
In 1991 their remains were located in a specific area of the General Cemetery. Forensic reports established that they died as a result of massive blood loss caused by gunshot wounds. The investigation ruled out that either of the deceased had affiliation to any political party.
Statistics released by Prensa Latina indicate that throughout nearly two decades of authoritarian rule, more than forty thousand people were counted as victims of mistreatment, illegal arrests, kidnappings and executions, not including approximately two hundred thousand citizens who were forced to leave the country.
Source: Google News CL — Crime