Special judge Alejandro Solís has handed down sentences ranging from three to ten years in prison to six former Carabineros for their responsibility in the crimes of Río Negro, a case that occurred in October 1973.

The resolution establishes that Hans Schernberger, José Hernán Godoy Barrientos, Roberto Teilort, Quintiliano Rogel Alvarado, and Pedro Segundo Soto Godoy must serve ten-year sentences, while José Rómulo Catalán faces a sentence of three years and one day in prison, as a mitigating factor of mental illness was considered in his case.

The resolution also highlights the charges against José Hernán Godoy, as he is the brother of the current deputy director of the Carabineros, Nelson Godoy Barrientos. The former officers were charged with the aggravated kidnapping of brothers Guido and Héctor Barría Basay, both Socialist Party militants.

The plaintiff lawyer in the case, Hugo Gutiérrez, stated that the sentence demonstrates that there was an irregular arrest by members of the uniformed police and that it even led to the disappearance of these brothers.

Source: La Nación, May 3, 2004

Six retired Carabineros convicted for aggravated kidnapping in Río Negro

The resolution adopted by judge Alejandro Solís affects former officers Hans Schernberger, Robert Teylorl, Quintiliano Rogel Alvarado, and José Hernán Godoy for the kidnapping of PS militants Héctor and Guido Barría Basay.

SANTIAGO.— Five retired Carabineros were sentenced to ten years and one day in prison as perpetrators of the crime of kidnapping two Socialist militants from the town of Río Negro, in the X Region. The resolution, adopted by judge Alejandro Solís, affects former officers Hans Schernberger, Robert Teylorl, Quintiliano Rogel Alvarado, and José Hernán Godoy Barrientos, the latter being the brother of the current deputy general director of the Carabineros, Nelson Godoy Barrientos.

Judge Solís also sentenced José Catalán Oyarzún to 3 years and one day, also for the aggravated kidnapping of brothers Héctor and Guido Barría Basay, both teachers apprehended by the former officers on October 16, 1973.

Human rights lawyer Hugo Gutiérrez expressed great satisfaction with the conviction and highlighted that the defense for the sentenced individuals did not file a request for statute of limitations or the application of the Amnesty Law in the case.

Source: Emol.com, May 3, 2004

Supreme Court reduces sentences for former officers

The Second Chamber of the Supreme Court resolved yesterday to confirm the convictions of retired Army Colonel Hugo Cardemil Valenzuela and retired Carabineros Colonel Pablo Caulier Grant as perpetrators of the crime of aggravated kidnapping committed during the dictatorship against 15 forcibly disappeared persons from Parral.

The reduction is due to the fact that the highest court accepted the principle of "half-statute of limitations" (media prescripción) and reduced Cardemil's sentence from 15 years and one day to 5 years, and Caulier's from 7 years to 4 years.

Furthermore, it granted them the benefit of supervised release. The same chamber acquitted six former Carabineros officers sentenced for the aggravated kidnapping of brothers Guido and Héctor Barría Basay, Socialist militants, which occurred in October 1973.

Those favored by the ruling are Hans Eduart Schernberger Valdivia, José Hernán Godoy Barrientos, Robert Santiago Teylor Escobar, Quintiliano Rogel Alvarado, Pedro Segundo Soto Godoy, and José Rómulo Catalán Oyarzún.

Only in a final ruling did the court resolve to maintain, firm and without modifications, the sentence handed down against Carabineros officer Rubén Osvaldo Barría Igor for the crime of aggravated homicide against 6 young men who were riddled with bullets at the Puente Bulnes in Santiago in October 1973.

In that same ruling, he was sentenced for the crime of attempted homicide against Luis Abraham González Plaza, who survived the execution. The change in criteria within the chamber was due to the fact that there were different compositions of judges for each case.

Source: December 28, 2007, La Nación