Veronica Zapana S. / La Paz
2021 was a year of terror for the women of the Bélice and Las Piedras II Mennonite colonies, which are located in the municipality of Pailón, in Santa Cruz. Three members of his colony entered the houses to rob and rape the women. In addition, the forensic report does not rule out that the aggressors committed sexual abuse with minors. According to the investigation, there are 25 victims, ranging from six-year-old girls to 35-year-old women.
On Wednesday, the Police apprehended the three defendants. In the precautionary hearing that was held yesterday, the justice determined the preventive detention in the Palmasola prison for the two adults, Johan L. (20 years old) and Bernhard F. (25) for 180 days. The minor of 17 years will enter Cenvicruz for six months.
The case became known on February 18, when the complaint was filed with the Pailón Police. Some 18 women -at first- were the victims of the aggressors.
“Then they presented the complaint in writing and through a lawyer before the municipal defender’s office,” Katya Soliz, head of the gender unit of the municipality of Pailón, told Página Siete. “They have already arrived with the fiscal requirements for the psychological assessment, the social report and the forensic examination of the victims,” she added.
“The youngest victim is six years old. There is another eight and another 12, the others are young up to 35 years old, “said Soliz.
After learning of the complaint, his unit proceeded to carry out a psychological assessment. “The 18 victims were interviewed,” he said. He indicated that it was a bit complicated, they only speak German. “A translator was found.”
“The social workers went to the home to see the houses. For the forensic examinations, they only accompanied the minors. The others preferred to go on their own, accompanied by their lawyers,” Soliz said.
According to the official, the forensic examination indicates that the girls “were not raped”, but “it is not ruled out that they were sexually abused”.
The official assured that this Tuesday another group of seven women from the same communities filed a new complaint against those accused of the same crimes. “There are already 25 victims,” Soliz said.
They also presented their requirements for psychological and social assessment. All of these events occurred in 2021.
How did they act? The prosecutor assigned to the case, Camilo Velásquez, said that after the arrest of the three defendants, they confessed their guilt and ratified everything yesterday in a precautionary hearing.
“They confessed in the presence of the judge and with a German translator interpreter,” explained the authority of the Public Ministry.
“They stated that they are sorry for having committed the crime and that they did the acts when they were drinking and coking (chewing coca),” the authority added.
In addition, the defendants told how they entered the houses using the spray to put people to sleep. “They said that they defined the orientation of the wind so that the spray enters the building and can cause the effect of sleep in people. They took the forecast that the wind itself would remove the spray so as not to be affected. They then entered through the window and proceeded to rape the victims. They left the place afterwards, ”he said.
They reported that they themselves made the spray at home, but -also- there was a man who gave them that input. “They used veterinary medicines that they used to put the animals to sleep and other supplies to make the spray,” Velásquez added.
After assuring that this case is similar to that of multiple rape that occurred 15 years ago, when 150 women from the Manitoba community, adjacent to both towns, were harassed by eight men from the same town.
This case was known in 2007 and four years later all the aggressors received their sentence in the Palmasola prison. A few weeks ago, Página Siete reported that of the eight, at least six were released from prison with the help of their lawyers and judges, one of them died and another was detained again to serve his sentence.
In this last case, Velásquez assured that there are two or three other people involved, who will be apprehended.
Some data
- Department Santa Cruz has about 50 Mennonite communities.
- Location The Bélice and Las Piedras II communities are close to Manitoba, where a multiple rape occurred 15 years ago.
- Customs The community is governed by its own rules, which makes it difficult for national authorities to enter the place. There are no schools in that area.
- Authorities They have their own authorities, who were already aware of the harassment committed by the accused, who had already confessed to the crimes, reported the gender officer of the Pailón municipality, Katya Soliz.
