doWhere is Maria Belen Bernal??
It is the most repeated question in Ecuador in recent days.
The disappearance of this young lawyer after visiting her husband in a police building in Quito last Sunday has the country in suspense and has caused outrage by the handling that the authorities have made of the case.
The main suspect is Bernal’s husband, the police officer German Cacereswho was released after testifying before the Prosecutor’s Office and since then has been unaccounted for.
President Guillermo Lasso has offered a reward by whoever offers information that leads to their location and has ordered to reinforce the search operation to solve a case that has cast doubt on the actions of the Police and has once again put the focus on the scourge of violence against women.
I have decided to reinforce the search for María Belén Bernal and to establish a reward for anyone who delivers information on Germán Cáceres. @MinInteriorEc, @PoliceEcuador and the specialized units will not rest until they find the location of María and the culprits.
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) September 16, 2022
What is known about the disappearance of María Belén Bernal
María Belén Bernal, a 34-year-old lawyer, went on Sunday at 1:30 a.m. to the Higher School of Policein the north of Quito.
Her husband, Germán Cáceres, who is wanted as the main suspect in the disappearance, works there as a lieutenant instructor.
The Ecuadorian Minister of the Interior, Patrick Carrilloreported that there is evidence of the woman’s entry into the police station, but not of her departure.
According to the minister, the cameras later captured her husband leaving the facilities in her car, but the vehicle was not searched and the agents do not know if she also left or not.
The minister admitted that it was “a security flaw.”
Carrillo also reported that Cáceres gave a first statement to the Prosecutor’s Office after which he was released and since then his whereabouts have been unknown. A large police operation is now trying to locate him.
According to BBC Mundo, the Bernal family’s lawyer, Jesús López Cedeño, who also works with María Belén in the same office, has been married to Germán Cáceres for six years. He also recounted that there are no previous complaints about her against her husband.
Why has it caused controversy?
Handling the disappearance of Maria Belen Bernal by the authorities has provoked protests by feminist groups in front of official buildings.
Lawyer López Cedeño told BBC Mundo that it is known that María Belén Bernal entered the Superior Police School early Sunday morning through the security cameras, but the agents did not record her entry. “One of them stated that Lieutenant Cáceres gave the order that her entry not be recorded,” the lawyer said.
According to the account of the Bernal family’s lawyer, Cáceres went to the Prosecutor’s Office to report the disappearance of his wife on Monday the 12th at 5 pm, when more than 24 hours had passed since the disappearance.
The next day he was summoned to testify and after his appearance, the Prosecutor’s Office ordered the National Police to carry out preliminary investigations, the results of which never came. After the maximum retention hours established by law, Cáceres left the Prosecutor’s Office and since then it is not known where he is.
The Attorney General of the State, Diana Salazar, affirmed on Thursday that the Prosecutor’s Office required the surveillance of the suspect, but the Police have lost track. “That is a proper responsibility of the National Police,” she added.
According to the account of the Bernal family’s lawyer, in the room of Lieutenant Cáceres in the Police High School found several empty liquor bottles. “In this case several protocols have been broken,” she noted.
How the government of Guillermo Lasso has reacted
After the protests and the case had media coverage, the Ecuadorian government has put more resources and efforts.
All the prosecutors of the Unit of Missing Persons of the Prosecutor’s Office They are dedicated to clarifying the case, and President Lasso promised that the specialized units of the Ecuadorian Police “will not rest until they find the location of María and the culprits.”
The Ministry of the Interior has ordered the suspension of all activities at the Higher Police School and the start of a search in the surroundings of the facility.
Fausto Salinas, general commander of the National Police, the body to which much criticism is directed, assured that several indications have been gathered and the result of the expert tests that have been commissioned is awaited. “We are not going to cover any police officer who violates the law and fails to fulfill his duty,” he said.
The violence against women in Ecuador
According to figures from the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office, a total of 138 women died violently in Ecuador in the first six months of 2022.
And 2021 was the most violent year on record, with 227 femicides. According to a report by Fundación Aldea, in 73% of cases the victims had a sentimental relationship with the person who killed them.
According to UN Women, 65 out of 100 women in Ecuador have suffered at least one episode of violence in their lives and 33 out of 100 have been victims of sexual violence.
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-62935237, IMPORTING DATE: 2022-09-16 18:40:05
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