Olufunke Aladejare
A court in Guatemala has sentenced seven former police officers to lengthy prison terms of up to 60 years over the extrajudicial killing of a gay couple, in a case widely condemned by human rights organisations as a hate crime.
The victims, identified as Eldin Choc, 28, and Milton Santamaria, 45, were beaten, tortured and murdered in April 2024 by officers who made homophobic slurs during the incident at a police station in the town of San Andres Itzapa, prosecutor Marco Escobar told AFP.
“It is something despicable,” Judge Maria Castellanos said during the sentencing hearing.
In its ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court handed the then police chief, Edy Vasquez, a 60-year jail term. Another former officer also bagged 60 years imprisonment, while a third convict was sentenced to 30 years for committing “extrajudicial execution.”
Two female ex-officers were sentenced to 11 years each for dereliction of duty and discrimination for directing homophobic remarks at the couple, according to the judgment.
The remaining two defendants were handed eight and 10 years imprisonment respectively for offences including unlawful detention, abuse of authority, obstruction of justice and dereliction of duty.
Choc, a Guatemalan national, and Santamaria, a Salvadoran-Canadian, were said to have been arrested following an altercation in a shop.
The police had initially reported that the couple died in a traffic accident. Santamaria’s body was taken to a hospital, while Choc’s corpse was discovered days later in a ravine with one hand mutilated.
Two firefighters had earlier been sentenced to one and three years in prison after admitting, under pressure from the police, that they aided in covering up the fact that Santamaria was already dead by the time he was taken to the hospital.
Reacting to the judgment, Amnesty International and other rights groups said in a joint statement: “This case adds to the many other hate crimes against LGBTIQ+ people in Guatemala.”
Henry Choc, brother to one of the victims, told reporters he felt “satisfied” with the outcome, adding that “justice has been served.”
“It was important that this did not go unpunished,” Abraham Abrego, legal director of the organisation Cristosal and a plaintiff in the case, told AFP.
“This is clearly a crime motivated by prejudice,” he added.
Several activists gathered outside the courthouse carrying placards with the inscription: “Homophobia kills.”
According to the Lambda Association, a Guatemalan human rights group, there were about 30 violent deaths of LGBTQ people in Guatemala last year. Hate crime is currently not defined under Guatemalan law.
