Examples of torture, ill-treatment, rapes perpetrated by carabineros against detainees, many of whom were reported to have been arbitrarily imprisoned. On 13 December, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) issued a damning report against the crackdown on demonstrations in Chile, denouncing "Multiple human rights violations" by the police.
This report was prepared by experts from the Office of the High Commissioner, who visited Chile from October 30 to November 22, when the country has been shaken by a social protest movement since October 18, the largest since the return of democracy in 1990.
"The management of the demonstrations by the police took place in a fundamentally repressive way," said the head of the mission, Imma Guerras-Delgado, during the presentation in Geneva of the report. He explained that, based on information collected from a wide variety of sources, "The police have repeatedly made no distinction between peaceful protesters and violent protesters".
Torture and sexual violence
During the mission, the OHCHR team was able to document 113 cases of torture and ill-treatment, and 24 cases of sexual violence against women, men and girls, committed by members of the police and military. "The police have a responsibility in the commission of human rights violations. With respect to individual responsibilities within the police, we can not make a conclusion. They will have to be established at the national level ", noted Mme Guerras Delgado.
According to official reports cited in the report, more than 28,000 people were detained between 18 October and 6 December, and most of them were released. OHCHR was able to verify information on 11 of the 26 deaths investigated by the Chilean authorities. Four of these cases constitute "Arbitrary deprivation of life and unlawful deaths involving state agents".
