The National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) announced on Wednesday, October 1 that it will add new information to its official monitoring of the Julia Chuñil case, following a meeting held on Tuesday, September 30 between its director and attorneys Karina Riquelme and Mariela Santana, as well as Pablo San Martín Chuñil, the victim’s son. During the meeting — according to the INDH — participants raised “a series of procedural issues” and discussed “a phone recording in which a person allegedly referred to what happened to Julia Chuñil.”
The institute also recalled the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) resolution that “obliges the State of Chile to redouble its efforts to clarify what happened”, and specified that its monitoring and evaluation will verify that those efforts include “ensuring due process and an exhaustive investigation of all hypotheses, without any bias”.
Ayer martes 30 de septiembre, el director del INDH recibió a las abogadas Karina Riquelme y Mariela Santana, junto a Pablo San Martín Chuñil, hijo de Julia Chuñil. En la reunión, las abogadas plantearon su preocupación por una serie de situaciones procesales. Además, dieron…
— INDH Chile (@inddhh) October 1, 2025
INDH to include the phone recording: Why it matters for the investigation
The decision that the INDH will incorporate the phone recording into its monitoring marks an institutional turning point, recognizing and formally adding a relevant piece of information to the case-tracking system. In practice, it means the Institute will collect, systematize, and verify that the Public Prosecutor’s Office and police pursue every possible line of inquiry, without ruling out scenarios due to bias or pressure.
The INDH’s focus on due process and thoroughness is critical: the Inter-American standard requires that investigative steps not be limited to a single hypothesis, that there be coherence across investigative lines, and that any potential evidence or recordings be handled within legal parameters that protect their validity and usefulness in court.
What the family says: the statement and the recording
The day before, Julia Chuñil’s family released a statement confirming the existence of an authorized phone interception and attributing to the primary suspect, Juan Carlos Morstadt Anwandter, a phrase that “may have revealed her fate”. In that call — they cite — Morstadt told a relative that Julia Chuñil “was burned.”
The family urged respect and support at this time, thanked those who assisted during the search, and called on the public to demonstrate “and demand that this person say where she is.” They also asked that the investigation continue and that the suspect “be investigated” and “return Julia Chuñil Catricura to us.”
INDH’s approach: IACHR, due process, and “all hypotheses”
The institutional post highlights three immediate obligations:
- Comply with the IACHR resolution: “redouble its efforts to clarify what happened.”
- Due process: avoid violations that could weaken the case.
- “Exhaustive investigation of all hypotheses, without any bias”: conduct a broad, unbiased inquiry, incorporating all relevant information — such as the phone recording — and cross-check each lead with forensic analysis and procedural steps that provide a solid basis.
The fact that the INDH will incorporate the phone recording into its monitoring aligns with that roadmap: it places the information within a framework of civic and institutional oversight, reduces the risk of omitting key steps, and seeks a comprehensive state response.
Gender perspective and protection of victims
The Julia Chuñil case requires a gender-sensitive approach: prevent revictimization, protect her family, and ensure coverage does not trivialize the facts or expose sensitive information. In that vein, the mobilizations mentioned by the family and the calls to demand truth and justice are part of the right to protest and families’ search for answers, always within the law.
What’s next
- Prosecutors and police must deepen investigative lines, formally integrating the phone recording and other actions.
- The INDH is expected to continue its monitoring of state compliance under the IACHR mandate, including reporting on due process and thoroughness.
- The family has asked for privacy, respect, and cooperation: any progress should protect Julia Chuñil’s dignity and safeguard her loved ones.