Colombia Suspends 7 in Military After Children’s Killings

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia Suspends 7 in Military After Children’s Killings
By SIMON ROMERO
Published: November 3, 2010

CARACAS, Venezuela — Colombia’s army has suspended seven officers and soldiers for failing to control their troops in connection with the brutal murders last month of three impoverished children near Colombia’s northeast border with Venezuela.

The killings have stirred outrage among human rights groups in Colombia. Medical examiners determined that one of the children, Yenni Torres, 14, was raped before she was killed. Her body and those of her brothers, Jimmy, 9, and Jefferson, 6, were found on Oct. 14 in a shallow grave near the town of Tame in rural Arauca, a war-torn border region.

One of the suspended officers, Second Lt. Raúl Muñoz, has acknowledged raping Yenni Torres before she was killed, Gen. Alejandro Navas, commander of the army, said Wednesday on Caracol Radio. General Navas said Lieutenant Muñoz had also confessed to having raped a 13-year-old girl in a separate episode near Tame on Oct. 2.

But Lieutenant Muñoz asserted that he was not involved in killing the three Torres children, General Navas said. The authorities in Arauca arrested Lieutenant Muñoz on Wednesday.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/world/americas/04colombia.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

[rabs]

1. Muñoz had a problem with the letter "r"

Muñoz


Another little girl, 13, who was sexually violated said her rapist could not pronounce the letter "r," which led investigators to Muñoz.

Meantime, santos, the defense minister and the army high command are tripping all over themselves in denouncing the killing of the three children, which shocked even Colombians long grown impervious to such crimes. Human rights activists have asked for protection for the children's campesino father.

Btw, Simon of the NYT is in error when he says the seven officers and noncoms were "suspended" by the army. They have been drummed out of the service. Will have to wait to see whether Muñoz is made a scapegoat to protect the others -- blood stains were found on the backpacks of other soldiers.

Amusing that Simon is reporting the story from Caracas, relying on online reports from the Colombian media instead of going to Colombia to report the story from the scene. Oh well ... that is NYT journalism today.