Families of girls from Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia) Virginia Guerrero and Manuela Torres disappeared 30 years ago, first appealed the investigation file. Constitutional Court To find out what happened to two little boys aged 14 and 13 who went to Reinosa (Cantabria) and never returned home.
Following the Palencia State Court’s decision to uphold the Cervera de Pisuerga (Palencia) Court’s decision, which agreed to sue Virginia Guerrero and Manuela Torres to find out what happened, the legal representative of the two families Amparo appealed to the Constitutional Court.
Aim determine whether there is a violation of fundamental rights In the decision of the Provincial Court, which definitively opened the case, the spokesperson for the families, Ramón Chippirrás, explained to EFE.
Speaking to EFE, lawyer Carmen Balfagón said of the Constitutional Court, “We believe that fundamental rights have been violated. The fundamental right to effective judicial protection has been violated.” Consider the problems with missing persons and “legal loopholes” in Spain especially in the case of missing minors.
“We believe the constitution will accept the case”The lawyer approved and appealed in this way so that the causes of the missing persons had constitutional protection that does not currently exist, recalling that there are currently more than 5,000 active complaints regarding missing minors in Spain.
Specifically, it points out that the Constitutional Court has never ruled on missing persons and that Justice must continue to act until all cases are resolved.
In the specific case of Manuela and Virginia, the appeal is based on the fact that: investigation reopened in 2021 following a new line of investigationNone of the cases brought up with the representation of the families were accepted and, according to the lawyers, the “mistakes” caused by the Provincial Court’s sentence.
As examples, they cite the request of the Fonttoria mine (a magnesite mine in Cantabria, where it was sought after in 1992 after two anonymous calls to the Civil Guard) and Cervatos Cave (a location near Reinosa, an ideal location for the storage of bodies). the investigation itself) to search for the girls’ biological remains using techniques and resources that currently exist, which were not done after their disappearance in 1992.
Moreover, remember that applying to the Constitutional Court opens the way to Strasbourg. Remembering that Spain is bound by the United Nations agreement to search for missing persons, in case it does not succeed in the Constitution.
As such, she insisted that Virginia and Manuela families would continue to explore the avenues available to her of legal representation in the face of what she clearly felt was vulnerable, and that they would not stop until they found out what had happened. to the girls.
“Our intention is to continue. If we do not get an answer in Spain, we will go to Strasbourg”, Carmen Balfagon warned.
Manuela Guerrero and Virginia Torres disappeared on April 24, 1992, when they decided to hitchhike to Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia) from Reinosa, where they were spending the afternoon.
The last thing known about the girls is that they spent the afternoon in Reinosa, were at the disco and the park, and were seen hitchhiking in the white or cream Seat 127.
Investigations were reopened as a result of a woman’s testimony on a television show in May 2021, and a year later the Court ordered a temporary stay of proceedings with assurances that “there was no known author in the handling of the events”. subject to complaint”.
The families’ lawyers objected to the dismissal order, and the Court confirmed the final file this September.