30 July 2025
The Maya Achi Indigenous women’s case is one of the most emblematic examples of hard-fought justice emerging after Guatemala’s internal armed conflict. On January 24, 2022, a specialized Guatemalan court [High-Risk Court “A”] sentenced five former Civil Self-Defense Patrols (PAC) to 30 years in prison for sexual violence and crimes against humanity committed against five Maya Achi women from Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. The five women are part of a larger group of 36 survivors of sexual violence who are seeking justice for the atrocities committed by the Army during the armed conflict.
The court also ordered 12 measures to repair the harm caused to the victims, their families, and their communities, including preventive and guarantees of non-repetition measures. The measures respond to the survivors’ demands for health, education, compensation, and dignity, all of which were presented to the court. The measures are based on international reparations standards for survivors of sexual violence in times of conflict.
This bulletin (available in English and Spanish) briefly outlines the case, the reparation measures ordered by the court and the State’s responsibility to comply with the measures. The recommendations included seek to ensure that the victims participate fully in the implementation of the measures, and that the Guatemalan State develops the measures with a comprehensive and transformative approach.
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