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18 janvier 2010
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18
/01
/janvier
/2010
06:58
Chilean Police Officer Gets Two Years For Shooting Mapuche Student
Written by Loretta van der Horst
Monday, 18 January 2010 04:09
http://www.santiagotimes.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18049:chilean-police-officer-gets-two-years-for-shooting-mapuche-student&catid=43:human-rights&Itemid=39
A military court sentenced police officer Walter Ramirez to two years in prison for the shooting death of 22-year-old Matías Catrileo two years ago. Catrileo was an activist in the indigenous Mapuche community, concentrated in central and southern Chile as well as southern Argentina.
The agronomy student was shot January 3, 2008, while participating in the occupation of a field called Saint Margarite in the outskirts of Vilcún, in La Araucania (Region IX).
The sentence against Walter Ramírez was imposed by the military judge of Valdivia, Gen. Eleutorio Ramírez Beiza, who ruled that the police officer committed “unnecessary violent acts causing the death of Matías Catrileo.”
In a land dispute that has become commonplace in the Araucania Region, Catrileo, who was occupying a field along with 30 others at the time of his death, is one of at least three Mapuches to die at the hands of Carabineros in the past six years.
In November, 2002, 18-year-old Mapuche activist Alex Lemún was shot in the head during an attempted land occupation. More recently, in August, 2009, 24-year-old Jaime Mendoza Collío was shot in the back and killed. Claims by the Carabineros that Mendoza’s killer shot in self defence were questioned after the finding that he was shot from behind. Mendoza’s case still awaits trial.
The military verdict stated that the officer`s previous conduct had been immaculate. And although the death was unnecessary, the court established that Ramírez was facing danger and acted in self defence.
Jame Madariaga, the Catrileo family lawyer, said he doubted Ramírez will go to jail and promised to appeal the verdict in both the Military Court system and to the Pan-American Court of Human Rights.
Madariaga said that the Court’s ruling that Catrileo failed to obey one of the officer’s orders relieves Ramírez of responsibility for the killing. “This is the same excuse that was used against political prisoners,” said the attorney.
Madariaga said he is sure the verdict will have to be modified, since “Catrileo was neither an arrestee or a prisoner.”
Gaspar Cauldron, the Carabinero’s lawyer, said he will also appeal the decision and seek complete acquittal. The attorney argued that his client shot the victim in self defence as Catrileo “disobeyed the officer’s orders, entered the field illegally and attacked police officials.”
The military judge used the term “excessive force” because the policeman used a firearm in response to the rocks that were thrown at him. But Cauldron said the response was justified: "The use of this weapon corresponds to the rules Ramírez was operating under."
SOURCE: LA TERCERA
By Loretta van der Horst
Written by Loretta van der Horst
Monday, 18 January 2010 04:09
http://www.santiagotimes.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18049:chilean-police-officer-gets-two-years-for-shooting-mapuche-student&catid=43:human-rights&Itemid=39
A military court sentenced police officer Walter Ramirez to two years in prison for the shooting death of 22-year-old Matías Catrileo two years ago. Catrileo was an activist in the indigenous Mapuche community, concentrated in central and southern Chile as well as southern Argentina.
The agronomy student was shot January 3, 2008, while participating in the occupation of a field called Saint Margarite in the outskirts of Vilcún, in La Araucania (Region IX).
The sentence against Walter Ramírez was imposed by the military judge of Valdivia, Gen. Eleutorio Ramírez Beiza, who ruled that the police officer committed “unnecessary violent acts causing the death of Matías Catrileo.”
In a land dispute that has become commonplace in the Araucania Region, Catrileo, who was occupying a field along with 30 others at the time of his death, is one of at least three Mapuches to die at the hands of Carabineros in the past six years.
In November, 2002, 18-year-old Mapuche activist Alex Lemún was shot in the head during an attempted land occupation. More recently, in August, 2009, 24-year-old Jaime Mendoza Collío was shot in the back and killed. Claims by the Carabineros that Mendoza’s killer shot in self defence were questioned after the finding that he was shot from behind. Mendoza’s case still awaits trial.
The military verdict stated that the officer`s previous conduct had been immaculate. And although the death was unnecessary, the court established that Ramírez was facing danger and acted in self defence.
Jame Madariaga, the Catrileo family lawyer, said he doubted Ramírez will go to jail and promised to appeal the verdict in both the Military Court system and to the Pan-American Court of Human Rights.
Madariaga said that the Court’s ruling that Catrileo failed to obey one of the officer’s orders relieves Ramírez of responsibility for the killing. “This is the same excuse that was used against political prisoners,” said the attorney.
Madariaga said he is sure the verdict will have to be modified, since “Catrileo was neither an arrestee or a prisoner.”
Gaspar Cauldron, the Carabinero’s lawyer, said he will also appeal the decision and seek complete acquittal. The attorney argued that his client shot the victim in self defence as Catrileo “disobeyed the officer’s orders, entered the field illegally and attacked police officials.”
The military judge used the term “excessive force” because the policeman used a firearm in response to the rocks that were thrown at him. But Cauldron said the response was justified: "The use of this weapon corresponds to the rules Ramírez was operating under."
SOURCE: LA TERCERA
By Loretta van der Horst
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