CAT/C/71/D/759/2016
the Committee’s jurisprudence, arguing that “mere doubts about the effectiveness of a
remedy do not absolve the complainant from seeking to exhaust such a remedy”.8
4.3
The State party also notes that the complainant has not at any time taken part in the
proceedings intended to resolve the allegations contained in his communication. After the
first complaint was filed on 29 April 2013, the State Prosecutor’s Office opened preliminary
investigation ALA/SC/05/0328/2013, concerning offences of bodily injury and damage,
against various police officers.
4.4
The State party notes that, on 27 October 2016, after various items of evidence had
been secured and without the complainant’s cooperation, criminal proceedings were
instituted against the police officers identified by the complainant. These criminal
proceedings are ongoing, and are proving effective, being focused on clarifying the facts and
punishing those responsible for the violations reported by the complainant.
4.5
The State party recalls that the complainant has a number of appropriate remedies
available to him at the domestic level to challenge the issues that he believes are not in line
with his claims. It also notes that the Committee found communication E.Y. v. Canada 9
inadmissible on the grounds that the complainant had not exhausted the appropriate domestic
remedies.
4.6
The State party notes that the complainant has not participated in the criminal
proceedings and has not availed himself of any of the remedies available to him. The
complainant could have appealed against the refusal to issue an arrest warrant against the
officers assumed to be responsible for the acts, as the State Prosecutor’s Office responsible
for the preliminary investigation subsequently did, which appeal is now being considered. In
line with the Committee’s jurisprudence, the State party claims that the complainant has not
availed himself of opportunities to exhaust all domestic remedies, and that he can no longer
do so because the limitation period established for such remedies in domestic law has
expired.10
4.7
The State party maintains that the fact that the complainant has not taken part in the
criminal proceedings does not absolve him from the obligation to exhaust available domestic
remedies and that, in accordance with the Committee’s jurisprudence, the complaint should
be declared inadmissible if the complainant has not filed an appeal with the competent
authority and has not explained why he did not do so.11
4.8
The State party maintains that the proceedings were not unreasonably prolonged,
since the prosecution authorities conducted a series of procedures in response to the
complaint, which also took account of the opinions issued by Guerrero State Human Rights
Commission.
4.9
The State party highlights that, although, as the complainant indicates, his failure to
take part was due to the threats he was receiving from officers of the municipal police, the
complainant never informed the authorities that he was being threatened. The fact that he
failed to report these events to any other authority, whether at the state level or within the
prosecution service, prevented the authorities from being able to take measures to protect him
and thus enable him to take part in the investigations and avail himself of the available
remedies. The complainant could also have reported these facts to Guerrero State Human
Rights Commission, which could have activated protection mechanisms under its jurisdiction.
The complainant also failed to provide any evidence to explain why he did not inform the
authorities of the threats received, and this failing prevented the Mexican authorities from
taking the measures necessary to protect the complainant and allow him to continue with the
proceedings and pursue the remedies he deemed necessary.
8
9
10
11
8
Jensen v. Denmark (CAT/C/32/D/202/2002), para. 6.3.
CAT/C/43/D/307/2006/Rev.1.
H.E-M. v. Canada (CAT/C/46/D/395/2009), para. 6.4.
P.A.C. v. Australia (CAT/C/34/D/211/2002), para. 6.2.
GE.21-13347