4 Cops in Mexico Arrested for Rape, Murder of a Young Man

Four cops in Mexico have been arrested and charged for the death of a young man who was allegedly beaten and raped before he died.

Daily Mail reported that Jose Eduardo Ravelo died at Agustín O'Horan General Hospital last Tuesday. The 23-year-old victim reportedly moved from Veracruz to Merida in July. Veracruz was considered one of the most dangerous states in Mexico, while Merida was deemed the safest.

Ravelo's mother, Maria Ravelo, said her son was on his way to a job interview on July 21, when the cops of the Merida Municipal Police stopped him near a park and shoved him inside a patrol car.

The young man had called his mother a day after the attack and told her what had happened.

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The Rape Incident With Four Cops in Mexico

Maria said the attorney general's lawyer told her that when her son was inside the jail, they heard screams, and no one went to help him, Mexico News Daily reported.

Maria further noted that her son told her on the phone that the incident took place in the patrol car. Based on the facts presented to her, the young man's mother believed that the four cops tortured and raped her son several times in the patrol car and the jail before they decided to release him.

Yucatán Governor Mauricio Vila said there is no place for impunity in their state, adding that there will be justice. Vila further noted that the family had accepted help from the State Commission for Victim Services.

The young man's cause of death was due to multiple organ destruction syndrome and multiple trauma. The four cops involved were charged with aggravated gang murder on Monday. They are also facing charges of aggravated rape and aggravated torture.

The mother recalled that the doctor asked her son how come the police had raped him, further asking him if he could be gay, Whatsnew2day reported.

Based on a hospital report released, there were major damages to Ravelo's kidneys and skulls. He also had blood in his lungs. Jose Eduardo Ravelo died at the hospital on August 3. A local newspaper reported that two of the cops have been on the police force for 18 years each.

Police Brutality in Mexico

Protesters gathered in cities across Mexico in June 2020 as repose to a number of killings of unarmed civilians by local and municipal police. Some cases had seen that authorities beat and detained protesters, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said Mexico police forces are infamous for their corruption, torture, and violence. Vivanco added that police in Mexico are also known for their connections to organized crime.

The arrest and death of the 30-year-old construction worker, Giovanni Lopez Ramirez, last year sparked the protests as a response to police violence.

Lopez Ramirez was detained for allegedly not wearing a mask, which was a state mandate at the time, during the onset of the pandemic.

Family members of Lopez Ramirez said when they went to pick him up from the police station a day after his arrest, they were directed to the morgue.

Lopez Ramirez's body was covered in bruises with a bullet in his leg. Officials told the family that the police had "gotten carried away."

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Written by: Mary Webber

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