From Amnesty International:
Indigenous women Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú were raped by Mexican soldiers in 2002. Although they were brave enough to report the attacks to the authorities and to follow up their cases, no substantive investigation has taken place and no-one has been brought to justice. The stories of Inés Fernández and Valentina Rosendo represent the stories of several other Indigenous women who have suffered sexual violence at the hands of members of the Mexican military and whose cases remain in impunity. In August 2010 the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Mexican state to investigate the human rights violations against Inés Fernández and Valentina Rosendo, bring those responsible to account, provide adequate reparation and take steps to ensure that these violations will not be repeated in the future. The Court also ordered Mexico to end the application of military jurisdiction in cases of human rights violations committed by members of the military.
Inés Fernández, Valentina Rosendo and their families have suffered acts of intimidation in an apparent attempt to stop the two women from publicising their case and demanding justice. In the most recent incident, on 28 August 2010, a daughter of Inés Fernández was accosted by two men in the nearby town of Ayutla de Los Libres. The two men threatened the Fernández family with death if they remained in Ayutla. The Inter-American Court had ordered the Mexican government to guarantee the safety of Inés Fernández and her family on 7 April 2009 but the protection measures have not been fully implemented.
On December 15 of last year, the Mexican government made a public acknowledgement of responsibility, a big step in the right direction. Stay tuned for updates on how this will affect the GOTB action.
Full story here (Spanish).
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