CHAPTER IV
Investigation and prosecution

Article 23. Interlocutory proceeding for comprehensive reparation. In the same hearing in which the respective Chamber of the Superior Judicial District Court finds that the acceptance of the charges is lawful, after an express request made by the victim, or by the prosecutor handling the case or by the Public Ministry upon request of the victim, the judge writing for the court shall immediately open the interlocutory proceeding for comprehensive reparation of the harm caused by the criminal conduct, and shall call a public hearing within five (5) days.
That hearing shall begin with a statement by the victim or his or her legal representative or public defender, to state specifically the type of reparation sought, and to indicate the evidence that he or she will introduce to support his or her claims.
The Chamber shall examine the claim, and shall dismiss it if the person filing it is not the victim or if actual payment of the damages is shown and if this were the only claim made; said decision may be challenged in the terms of this law.
Once the claim is admitted, the Chamber shall inform the accused that it has accepted the charges, and will then invite the parties involved to conciliate. If they reach agreement, it shall be incorporated in the ruling in the interlocutory proceeding; otherwise, it shall order that the evidence offered by the parties be produced, it shall hear the arguments in support of their respective claims, and in the same act it shall rule on the interlocutory proceeding. A decision either way shall be incorporated into the guilty verdict.
Paragraph 1. Exclusively for the purposes of the conciliation provided for in this article,
the victim, the accused or defense counsel, the prosecutor handling the case, or the Public Ministry may ask that the Director of the Social Solidarity Network (Red de Solidaridad Social) be subpoenaed in his capacity as controller of expenditures of the Fund for the Reparation of Victims.
Paragraph 2. The granting of an alternative penalty may not be denied if the victim fails to exercise his or her right in the interlocutory proceeding for comprehensive reparation.

CHAPTER VIII
Rights of victims with respect to the Administration of Justice

Article 37. Rights of the victims. The State shall guarantee victims’ access to the administration of justice. In developing the foregoing, the victims shall have the right: 37.1 To receive dignified human treatment throughout the procedure.
37.2 To the protection of their privacy and guarantee of their security and that of their family members and witnesses, whenever they are threatened.
37.3 To prompt and comprehensive reparation for the harm suffered; the perpetrator or participant in the crime shall be responsible for making such reparation.
37.4 To be heard and to receive facilitation for contributing evidence.
37.5 To receive information relevant to protecting their interests from the first contact with the authorities and in the terms established in the Code of Criminal Procedure; and to know the truth of the facts that constitute the circumstances of the crime of which they have been the victims.
37.6 To be informed of the final decision in the criminal prosecution and to pursue remedies when they are available.
37.7 To be assisted during the trial by an attorney of one’s trust, or by the Procurator General’s Judicial Office addressed in this law.
37.8 To receive comprehensive assistance for their recovery.
37.9 To be assisted at no cost by a translator or interpreter, in the event of not knowing the language, or not being able to perceive language through the sensory organs.
Article 38. Protection of victims and witnesses. The government officers to which this law refers shall adopt the appropriate measures and all relevant actions for protecting the security, physical and psychological well-being, dignity, and private life of the victims and witnesses, and of all other parties in the proceeding.
To this end, all relevant factors will be borne in mind, including age, gender, and health, as well as the nature of the crime, in particular when it entails sexual violence, disrespect for gender equality, or violence against children.
Special training will be given to the government officers who work with such victims. These measures may not redound to the detriment of the rights of the accused or the right to a fair and impartial trial, nor shall they be incompatible with such rights.