Mexico: Police officers who tortured woman into confessing to a crime must face justice
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 10 November 2015 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Mexico: Police officers who tortured woman into confessing to a crime must face justice, 10 November 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5643684f4.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The acquittal of a young woman who was tortured into confessing to the crime of extortion is long awaited good news but Mexico must ensure those responsible for the abuse she suffered face justice and that she receives reparation, said Amnesty International.
"The fact that a young woman has been forced to spend two years in prison after being tortured to confess to a crime speaks volumes about the state of the Mexican judicial system," said Erika-Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
"While we welcome Cristel's acquittal, justice will not be done until those who sexually tortured her into confessing to a crime are put behind bars and a strong message is sent that torture is never acceptable."
Cristel Fabiola Piña Jasso, a 25-year old mother of two, was today acquitted by a court in Chihuahua, northern Mexico after spending two years in prison. The judge found there was not sufficient evidence against her and ordered a federal investigation into the torture she suffered.
She was arbitrarily detained alongside her husband in August 2013, after state police stormed her home in the city of Ciudad Juarez. Police brutally beat both of them and sexually abused Cristel until she agreed to confess on videotape. She retracted these statements in court telling the judge she had been tortured.
Cristel, her husband and another co-accused could be free by the end of the month, after the deadline for the public prosecutor to appeal this decision expires.
