Nuevo León Gov. Jaime Rodríguez Calderón (c), accompanied by officials, details findings on the Topo Chico jail massacre. Charges brought against authorities after 49 die
THE NEWS
Topo Chico prison officials in Nuevo León allowed prisoners to be out of their cells and armed with bats and knives, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
This was announced after a riot last Thursday in the prison located in Monterrey, that left 49 prisoners dead and 12 injured.
According to the state Attorney General, Roberto Flores Treviño, three former officials were apprehended and are subject to criminal prosecution.
These three officials were Gregoria Salazar Robles, who served as a prison warden; Jesús Fernando Domínguez Jaramillo, who had the position of deputy commissioner of corrections; and José Reyes Hernández Aguilar, who was the prison custodian.
Salazar Robles and Domínguez Jaramillo were charged with homicide and abuse of authority, while Hernández Aguilar was charged with homicide.
Salazar Robles and Domínguez Jaramillo are being held in the municipal quarters on Alamey Street and Hernández Aguilar is under observation at the Topo Chico prison while he waits for his legal situation to be resolved.
Salazar Robles and Domínguez Jaramillo were not held at the Topo Chico prison to protect their identities.
The United Nations asked for an “impartial and exhaustive” investigation to be done for the riot and that rights be guaranteed to the families.
In a statement, U.N. member Juan E. Méndez asked that the “legal responsibilities” of the penitentiary authorities and the prisoners that participated in the acts be established.
He also asked that “the family members know the truth behind what happened and that the deaths be identified soon, as the names are still unknown.” Méndez asked for “a dignified delivery of the remains and quality medical attention to those who were injured.”
In addition, he asked for “a guarantee that this will not happen again” and better prison detention conditions, where recently the privileges of some of the leaders of organized crime were removed.
According to authorities, the privileged prisoners had luxury cells equipped with lounges, air conditioning, screens, minibars, digital television, aquariums, bars, and saunas.
In his report, Méndez referred to the deteriorated infrastructure, bad sanitation conditions, poor food quality and the “cruel, inhumane and degrading” treatment of Topo Chico’s prisoners.
