HONDURAS : RAPE, ILLEGAL DETENTIONS AND BEATINGS ON STREET CHILD The Human Rights Actions Network - Derechos Human Rights http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/ Casa Alianza - Regional Office During the last few weeks there have been two cases of illegal detention of street children, and the rape of a street girl inside a police station in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Please could you read over the following information and send messages to the e-mail addresses outlining your concerns. Several letters that were sent in Spanish to the newspapers from previous appeals were in fact published, during the Honduran public's attention to the global concern over the ill treatment of the Honduran street children. Thank you as ever for your help. Please just take a few minutes to respond, for the sake of Rafael, Hiran and Fany. Thank you. Bruce Harris Executive Director, Latin American programs Casa Alianza/Covenant House Latin America ----------------------------------- Please send messages to: Leo Valladares, the Human Rights Commissioner The Honduran Embassy in Washington, USA (ask them to forward the information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tegucigalpa) English paper, "Honduras This Week" Spanish language paper "El Nuevo Dia" - to measure the response ----------------------------------- CASE 1: HONDURAS: Illegal detention of the street children Rafael Martinez and Hiran Castellanos by the FUSEP On Thursday, March 20th, 1997 at approximately 1pm, the two street boys, Rafael Martinez and Hiran Castellanos were detained in front of the Cathedral in the Central Park of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, by two Municipal Policemen (dressed in civilian clothes), accusing them of stealing a chain from a woman. The boys were taken to the 7th Command post of the police (Fuerzas de Seguridad Publica (FUSEP), where they were interrogated about the theft. During the detention in the FUSEP, Hiran Castellanos stated that he was beaten by a Sergeant Matute and Lte. Mejia (the FUSEP agents had name tags on their uniforms). The Lte. also threatened to kill Hiran. Hiran stated to the policemen that he was 18 years old as he did not want to be sent to a juvenile detention center where he would stay for several months. Instead he would be sent to the Penitenciaria Central (PC), the adult jail, and would soon be released for lack of evidence in the crime for which he was accused. Hiran spent the night in the police cells - mixed together with adult males - and the next day, Friday, March 21st, was sent to the Criminal Justice of the Peace (Juzgado de Paz de lo Criminal) where he was sent to the PC. The personnel of the PC did not want to admit Hiran because his physical build showed that he was obviously a minor and the same day he was returned to the police cells, where he was together with adult prisoners. He spent the weekend in the police cells with adults and on Monday, March 24th the boy was sent to the Juvenile judge where he was released for lack of evidence. Rafael Martinez, who also declared he was 18 years old for the same reason as Hiran, was also detained in the FUSEP cells together with adults on March 20th. At this point in time we have not been able to confirm that Rafel was also beaten by the FUSEP agents, but Hiran says that Rafael also was beaten. The next day, March 21st, Rafael's sister notified the Legal Aid Office of Casa Alianza of his detention. Casa Alianza staff went to the 7th Command to confirm the minor's detention. The staff showed the Police Judge the boy's birth certificate, proving he was a minor, and the judge promised to send the boy to the Juvenile judge, which he did. Rafael was then sent by the Juvenile judge to the El Hatillo juvenile detention center, where he is still detained. The Legal Aid Office staff is investigating further information in order to present criminal charges against the FUSEP police officials for illegal detention and abuse of authority. It is also against the law to detain minors together with adults. By law, any person who is detained has to be presented to a judge within 24 hours, regardless of whether it is the weekend or not. --------------------- CASE 2: HONDURAS: RAPE OF STREET GIRL IN POLICE STATION In the early morning of Friday, March 21st, 1997 16 year old street girl Fany Cerrato was raped by a uniformed officer (sergeant) of the Fuerza de Seguridad Publica (FUSEP) -the Honduran police - inside one of the police stations in Tegucigalpa. At approximately 22:00 hours, Fany - who has been in the Casa Alianza programs in the past - was walking along the Calle Real close to Bigos (a fast food store) in Tegucigalpa, when an unidentified man stopped and invited her for something to eat. They drove towards the Boulevard Morazan and the man stopped and started to give Fany alcoholic drinks. They then drove again for a short period of time and the man stopped the car "por el semaforo cerca del Hotel Honduras Maya, por el edificio rojo" and started to sexually abuse the minor inside the car. During the time Fany was being abused, two uniformed members of the FUSEP came up to the car. According to Fany's statement to the Attorney General's Office, "The police arrived. They asked me who the man was to me, and I said he my brother. The man denied that and so I ran, but the policemen caught me. One of them beat me with his pistol on my right arm and hand. They forced me into the police car and took me to the police station in Mamchen where they told me to take a shower. When I was showering, one of the policemen came in and asked me if the man had paid me, and I said no. The policeman put 20 lempiras (US$ 1.80) into my hand and grabbed me ansd said that he was going to send me to the girl's juvenile detention center unless I had sex with him, so I had no choice but to let him abuse me. They released me about 5am on March 21st". It is estimated that Fany was raped at about 2am on March 21st. The young girl was raped in the bathroom of the police station. Fany reported the abuse to the Casa Alianza street educators and was taken to the DIC to make a formal declaration on March 22nd at midday. She also was given a forensic exam but we do not yet have the results. We have not yet made a complaint to the Oficina de Responsibilidad y Profesionalismo (ORP) of the FUSEP as we do not trust them to investigate objectively. We will do the complaint later once the DIC has further investigated the case. Fany is currently safe in a Casa Alianza program. ------------------------------------------------- Casa Alianza/Covenant House Latin America San Jose, Costa Rica Phone:+506-253-5439 Fax :+506-224-5689 Mailing address: SJO 1039/POBox 025216 Miami FL, 33102-5216 USA Email:machen@casa-alianza.org Home Page : http://www.casa-alianza.org --------------------------------------------- "In their little worlds in which children have their existence, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt, as injustice..." Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" ===================================================== Human Rights in Honduras www.derechos.org/nizkor/honduras/