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Summary: Translated by CRIN
[SAN SALVADOR, 24 October 2006] – The State of El Salvador appeared before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on 24 October 2006 in Washington, DC, accused of 'disappearing' three children at the hands of the army during the civil war (1980). The Assocation Pro Búsqueda reported in a communiqué that the State was brought before this international body for the case of siblings Gregoria Herminia, Serapio Cristian and Julia Inés Contreras Recinos. The children, aged four, 20 months and four months respectively, disappeared on the 25th of August 1982 during an military operation in various towns in the central department of San Vicente. The report says that the operation, in which some 6,000 military personnel participated, began on 17 August that year and lasted for about 15 days, during which time, civilians were massacred and at least 25 children disappeared. According to the communiqué, on the day of their children’s disappearance, their parents, Fermín and Maura, were feeding them “when members of the army began shooting indiscriminately at a group of people who were resting a few metres away”. The claimants asked the Inter-American Commission to “denounce these violations and recommend that the State of El Salvador adopt the necessary reparation measures to the victims.” According to Pro Búsqueda, “the State again denied the phenomenon of forced disappearances of children and the responsibility of the Armed Forces”. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights must soon issue its report on the case and decide whether to refer it to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the body which can rule on the case. Furthermore, Pro Búsqueda informed that the Court, which is based in Costa Rica, recently made it known that the Salvadoran State had not complied with the ruling in March 2005 on the case of sisters Erlinda and Ernesina Serrano Cruz, who also disappeared at the hands of the army on 2 June 1982. According to a resolution of the Court, “the government must publish the ruling again in a national newspaper, because the first time it did so it did not stick to the court’s ruling.” Note on next session The IACHR has decided to change the format of its sessions. Instead of holding two three-week session a year, the IACHR has decided from now on that it will hold three two-week sessions every year. In addition, the IACHR will hold an extra session in one of its Member States. The next regular session will be held from 26 of February – 9 March 2007 in Washington, DC. Further information
They and their other two children managed to escape, but their other three children “were taken away by the soldiers”. At today’s hearing, the mother of the children testified that she had “witnessed when members of the Salvadoran army abducted her children”.
It said that the State had yet to investigate the facts and carry out a serious search for the victims. It should do this by setting up a national commission to search for young people who disappeared during the conflict and designate a day dedicated to remembering the disappeared children.”