- Title: Mexico to investigate authorities connected to mass grave with 119 bodies
- Date: 6th October 2016
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HEADQUARTERS SIGN THAT SAYS "PRESENTATION FOR RECOMMENDATION 48/2016: IRREGULARITIES IN BURIALS AT TELELCINGO, CUAUTLA MUNICIPALITY, MORELOS" OFFICIALS POSING FOR PHOTOS AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OFFICIAL FROM THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ENRIQUE GUADARRAMA, SAYING: "They need to investigate every public servant who participated in the process of the burial of these bodies. Everyone. No hypothesis will be dismissed." MORE OF OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE MOTHER WHOSE SON WAS FOUND IN MASS GRAVE SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OFFICIAL FROM THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ENRIQUE GUADARRAMA, SAYING: "It is reproachable behaviour. The way they (officials) treated the buried bodies; to bury 119 bodies in two shallow graves that were 6 by 3.5 metres (19 feet by 11.4 feet) in depth, that were meant to be for three bodies. The result is an undignified one for the bodies." RELATIVES OF VICTIMS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOTHER WHOSE SON WAS FOUND IN MASS GRAVE, MARIA CONCEPCION HERNANDEZ, SAYING: "I want this to be a precedent so that what happened here never happens again. It's happening, but now be careful in doing this again because people need to understand that this cannot be allowed for those that come after us."
- Embargoed: 21st October 2016 23:29
- Keywords: kidnapping mass grave investigation ombudsman Mexico
- Location: MEXICO CITY, TETELCINGO, MORELOS, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, TETELCINGO, MORELOS, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA00152VDRNN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mexico's ombudsman ordered on Thursday (October 6) that officials from the State Attorney General of Morelos be investigated as suspects for the illegal burial of 119 bodies found in a mass grave.
The National Human Rights Commission presented the investigation at a news conference in Mexico City, which established that officials buried up to 50 bodies in the mass grave.
The Commission found that 44 of the bodies showed signs of violent death which was not investigated.
Enrique Guadarrama of the Commission said no public servant would be spared the in investigation.
"They need to investigate every public servant who participated in the process of the burial of these bodies. Everyone. No hypothesis will be dismissed," he said.
The mass grave was only large enough to hold three bodies.
"It is reproachable behaviour. The way they (officials) treated the buried bodies; to bury 119 bodies in two shallow graves that were 6 by 3.5 metres (19 feet by 11.4 feet) in depth, that were meant to be for three bodies. The result is an undignified one for the bodies," added Guadarrama.
The mass grave was discovered by private investigations carried out by the Oliver Navarrete family after their son was kidnapped and killed in 2013. His body was later identified using DNA evidence in the mass grave.
Maria Conception Hernandez's son was also found in the mass grave. She hopes that the investigation will mean no other family will go through the same ordeal.
"I want this to be a precedent so that what happened here never happens again. It's happening but now be careful in doing this again because people need to understand that this cannot be allowed for those that come after us," she said.
Morelos state has one of the largest rates of kidnappings and murders in Mexico, with the criminal group Guerreros Unidos thought to operate in the area.
Many mass graves have been found across Mexico in recent years and months, the legacy of drug gang violence that has killed around 100,000 people since 2007. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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