Parents of 49 children killed in Mexico fire to seek justice at UN

Mexico fire victims’ parents to seek justice at UN

MEXICO CITY — The parents of 49 children killed in a day care fire said Thursday they will go to the United Nations to seek justice after Mexico’s high court voted against recommending that high-ranking officials be held accountable in the deaths.

Luis Ramos, a lawyer for the victims’ parents, said he will present their case to U.N. Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and its Committee on the Rights of the Child so they can make recommendations to the Mexican government.

Mexican prosecutors have charged 23 people in the case, including the owners of the day care, but a year after the fire no one has been sentenced. The blaze in the northern city of Hermosillo also injured 75 more children.

On Wednesday, Mexico’s Supreme Court rejected a report by Judge Arturo Zaldivar that recommended 14 top government officials be held accountable for the deaths.

The court voted to declare that there were serious violations of the children’s rights and that seven midlevel officials were negligent.

The court has the power to make recommendations but cannot order the government to take any specific action.

Ramos called the court’s decision “weak” and “incongruous.”

“It’s not possible to recognize there were grave violations but say the only ones involved are employees who couldn’t act without their superiors’ knowledge,” Ramos said.

He said the victims’ parents are also considering taking the case to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

Patricia Duarte, whose 3-year-old boy died in the June 5, 2009 fire, said she still hopes to get justice.

“We know we will get justice, unfortunately it won’t come from Mexico,” she said.