Germán Reinerio Rivera Cubillos died that day at 10:05 hours, due to a phlegmon in his right thigh and a contusion of the thigh, as stated in the Medical Death Certificate from the Legal Medical Institute.

According to records contained in the case file and statements from eyewitnesses, on the night of July 12, 1988, Germán Rivera was arrested for shouting slogans against the military government in the plaza of Lota; he was beaten and then taken to the Carabineros police station in Lota Bajo.

While in the holding cell, a police officer struck him several times with his foot on his right thigh, which caused him intense pain. The following day, his transfer to the Coronel Prison was ordered.

Upon being released on July 14, he felt very ill and was limping from his injured leg. He went to the Lota Hospital, where he was admitted, but on the 17th, his transfer to the Regional Hospital of Concepción was ordered due to the severity of his condition; he died while in transit.

The Autopsy Protocol indicated the cause of death as sepsis, secondary to an infection of a hematoma on the right thigh that had become generalized. The report adds that the deceased suffered from circulatory compromise that led to a state of shock, and that with timely and adequate medical assistance, his death could have been avoided.

Considering the evidence gathered by this Corporation, the Superior Council reached the conviction that the death of Germán Reinerio Rivera Cubillos was due to the beatings to which he was subjected by State agents during his detention, for which reason it declared him a victim of human rights violations.