Eight murders and over twelve disappearances went unpunished last year in Nuevo Leon in Mexico. Human Rights Watch investigated these crimes, only to conclude that they were the doing of Army and Navy soldiers, and police officers.
Most of the victims’ families complained on both state and federal levels, and many of these complaints became open cases. However, according to the families, no one has been found guilty for the crimes.
Mexico became a member of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2008. The Mexican government is expected to provide full details of individuals placed in detentions. Also, any disappearances are to be fully invested, and those at fault are to be punished appropriately. Clearly, this is not the case in this situation.
"Failing to prosecute soldiers and police officers who kill,” says Jose Miguel Vivcano, “sends a message that these abuses are acceptable tactics for combating organized crime." Vivanco is Americas director at Human Rights Watch, and I completely agree with him. It is human, dog, and bird nature to continue behaviors with which one can get away. If these soldiers and police officers, much like officers in the U.S. who commit police brutality, know that, because of their position of authority, they can get away with breaking certain rules, they will. This especially applies when considering relationships with those of higher ranks. If they decided to ignore these crimes, the crimes go unpunished, and justice is not had, as the criminals predict.
No comments:
Post a Comment