Faced with the accusations of the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office, which suggest that Luz Raquel – a mother killed after suffering discrimination and threats – may have committed self-aggression, her family questioned the authorities, saying they misrepresent the case.
“We are demanding justice because we do not know to what extent justice will go, for us it does not exist, they will not return it to us, but we want the fact to be investigated, what happened on July 16, that Saturday, what was, what happened, who were they?, to investigate. They (the Prosecutor’s Office) are focusing on things that they do not have to focus on, which is their past life, things that do not even the case, giving more credibility to the alleged (responsible),” said Luz Aurora, luz Raquel’s sister in an interview with Milenio Televisión.
▶ Today the prosecutor of Jalisco released new videos of the case of Luz Padilla
“It’s being misrepresented, they’re focusing on other things.”: Luz Aurora, Luz Raquel’s sister, said.
📺 Information with @paobarquet pic.twitter.com/YwgN59BskH
— Milenio Television (@mileniotv) July 26, 2022
On Tuesday, the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office maintained, without providing “conclusive” evidence, that the 35-year-old woman may have committed a self-aggression, after collecting testimonies that indicate that Luz Raquel bought alcohol and a lighter like the one found in the neighborhood park in which she was burned on Saturday, July 16. Three days later, on Tuesday the 19th, he died of his injuries.
Prosecutor Luis Joaquín Méndez acknowledged that these statements do not represent “conclusive” evidence and, when asked directly if the Prosecutor’s Office considers that it was a self-aggression, he answered that it was not and that the authorities do not seek to revictimize.
“The intention is never to victimize or revictimize or criminalize anyone, not Luz Raquel and obviously the person who is detained, has rights,” he said.
After Luz Raquel’s murder, the Office of the UN High Commissioner in Mexico called on the authorities to conduct a gender-sensitive investigation that considers the work of her activism.
The 35-year-old woman had been the target of threats and assaults by neighbors upset with the noise made by her son Bruno, who lives with autism.
“We ask for the truth, we ask for justice. Although we also know that there really will be no justice because nothing is going to give it back to us. My nephew will no longer have his mother: she gave her life to be turned over to see,” the relative told MVS Noticias.
Organizations speak out
Civil organizations in defense of women’s rights spoke out against the case and warned that jalisco authorities are violating due process and hindering access to justice.
Through a statement, Cladem Jalisco and the National Observatory of Feminicide pointed out that the information released by the State Prosecutor’s Office is derived from a non-scientific investigation, has serious deficiencies, is revictimizing; and does not recognize the crime of femicide as such.
“The lack of a framework of respect for human rights and gender perspective in the investigation and handling of the case. The lack of attention, investigation and punishment around the femicide of Luz Raquel reveals the serious systematic deficiencies on the part of the institutions of law enforcement and the government apparatus in the state of Jalisco and the country,” the statement reads.
CLADEM Jalisco pronouncement regarding the Press Conference of the Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Jalisco on the femicide of Luz Raquel Padilla#Nomesuicidé#NOFUEMICULPA#JusticiaParaLuz #nofuiyo#niunamenos #niunamas #justicia #jaliscofeminicida #debidoproceso pic.twitter.com/l4QphmXnuT
— Cladem Jalisco (@clademjal) July 27, 2022
Given this, the organizations demand to investigate the femicide of Luz, through a due process with a gender perspective and scientific research.
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