The case of Naomi Arcentales is not the only one with inconsistencies and unresolved. The alleged mass suicides in prisons are another example.
Two weeks have passed since Naomi Arcentales was found dead, in an apartment in Blanket. A few hours from body lift I know determined his death as a suicide. “A complete irresponsibility” says Geraldine Guerra, director of the Network of Shelters of Ecuador.
Guerra says that there is ignorance of those who arrive at a crime scene about him National Protocol to Investigate Femicides and other Violent Deaths of Women and Girls, that State Attorney General (FGE) launched on November 24, 2021.
“In this protocol it is very clear what must be done. That every violent death of a woman must be investigated ruling out the femicide. In other words, it must first be investigated as femicide and then discard it ”, details the expert, who is part of the Aldea foundation, which collects data on femicides in Ecuador.
Revictimization and lack of knowledge
“Why is a part that says it is suicide generated so quickly, without taking into account other indications?”, Questions the lawyer Carla Ortiz and highlights that this puts obstacles in the legal process since the alleged linked “have more time to escape , while they are being charged ”. The lawyer and activist emphasizes that the couple of Arcentales He is not formally linked, therefore, he does not have precautionary measures while the investigation progresses.
Guerra says that forensic medicine should start investigating with a gender perspective based on the guidelines of the protocol. “This is a triple revictimization of the family, because not only does his daughter die, but the body must be exhumed (…) the comprehensive reparation to the family begins at that moment, when evidence is collected,” he adds and recalls the case of Lisbeth Baquerizo whose partner fled after passing off his death as an accident. Luis Hermida, Baquerizo’s husband, today he is a fugitive from justice and with an arrest warrant from Interpol after it was found that she was murdered.
Another problem, the experts agree, is that the National Police it does not have an agile system for verifying history, when it comes to finding women who have died violently. “The agents of the Dinased do not have access to a database that, at that time, indicate if the victim had complaints of violence. Like when they see your car license, there they put your identity card and see all your history; for that there has been investment, “criticizes Guerra.
Under-registration and impunity
Guerra highlights that during the confinement, in 2020, there were also deaths of women by suicide and that, in many cases, the investigations should be reopened because “under the pretext that there were no personnel, they did not identify themselves.”
In that year, according to data from Ministry of Health there were 1,071 suicide deaths, 70% committed by men. However, in September 2021, the Vice Minister of Governance and Health Surveillance of the Ministry of Public Health, José Ruales, explained that «in Ecuador there is a high underreporting de about 17.4% of suicides that may not be recorded or wrongly recorded.
But the case of Arcentales It is not the only alleged suicide where, as described by the family’s lawyer, Luigi García, there are “inconsistencies”.
Collective ‘suicides’ in prison
On October 14, 2021, four prisoners were found hanging with ropes and clothing, in the Litoral penitentiary, in Guayas.
On the 22nd of the same month, in the same prison, in the area of intimate visits, another seven prisoners were found, also hanging.
The Comprehensive Attention Service for Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) described the two events as alleged simultaneous suicides. However, the Prosecutor’s office announced that it opened a previous investigation to find out the circumstances in which those 11 deaths occurred.
Another case occurred in May 2021. When the death of the former secretary of the Presidency of the Republic was classified as presumed suicide José Agusto Briones, who died inside the so-called Jail 4, located in the north of Quito.
So far there is no answer as to whether these cases actually respond to suicides.
Ortiz emphasizes that not having thorough investigations leaves the door to impunity open. For example, on the prison issue, in 2021 alone, more than 300 deaths must be investigated in Ecuadorian prisons, including suicides. In no case have direct responsible parties been determined.
There are also antecedents. In February 2020, in the Jail of Turi, in Basin, six prisoners were found hanging in their cells. Although there were no signs of violence or torture 10 days later, the autopsy performed by Legal Medicine revealed that it was not suicide but murder, although no guilty was found. (AVV)
“Any violent death of a woman must first be considered as femicide and then discarded. Not the other way around ”, Geraldine Guerra, director of the Network of Shelter Homes of Ecuador.
“How is it possible that the Police get to the case and do not have access to see that the victim had complaints of gender violence”, Geraldine Guerra, director of the Network of Shelter Homes of Ecuador.
