E/CN.4/1991/56 page 83 instructed the municipal attorney of the neighbouring town of San Roque, to gather evidence on the case. Once this task had been completed, the municipal attorney submitted his report to the Office of the Attorney Delegate, which, judging the evidence collected to be incomplete, issued an order on 19 October 1990, for the case to be returned to the attorney for completion of the preliminary investigations. ... In the case of Father Sergio Restrepo, criminal proceedings are being carried out by Assize Criminal Investigation Court No. 8 in Monteria. In this connection, in a communication dated 21 June 1989, the sectional district for criminal investigation of Monteria reported that investigations were being carried out jointly under its responsibility and that of officials of the police technical department. I will be informed in due course of the progress made by the relevant investigations. With regard to the case of Sister Teresa de Jesus Ramirez (...), public order court No. 5 in Medellin, with the assistance of the police technical department, took up the inquiries into the alleged homicide. The case has been transferred to the preliminary investigation department in Santo Domingo, Antioquia, to identify the alleged culprits. The Head of the Preliminary Investigation Unit informed the Sectional Director of Criminal Investigation that the complainants had alleged that paramilitary groups in the region were responsible. In the preliminary investigation, no link was established with any member of the State security forces. Furthermore, on 15 June 1989 the Association of Schoolteachers informed the public order court in Medellin that the alleged victim was not connected with the Association. Lastly, with respect to the threats against Father Eduardo Serrano Ordonez, allegedly made by the group known as Muerte a Revolucionarios. I would inform you that investigations are being carried out by public order court No. 1 in Cucuta. The evidence gathered includes a report that, in view of the anonymous threats received by the priest on 1 April 1989, the Bishop of Cucuta made a precautionary request for official protection to the commander of the Second Army Division and to Security Department agents and to officials of the judicial police in Cucuta, who gave his request due attention. ... Father Serrano Ordonez left the city of Cucuta. In spite of the investigations carried out by F-2, a police investigation body, and by the the Police Technical Department, it has still not been possible to identify the source of the anonymous threats. The cases involving the above members of religious orders fall within the context of the complex violence, attributable to many causes, that has affected Colombia, although, in the opinion of the Government, they cannot be attributed to State action or to State coercion against freedom of conscience, in a country where the majority are overwhelmingly Catholic. The Government is deeply concerned that these cases should be clarified and the guilty punished, and in accordance with Government policy, which is to defend the cause of human rights, I shall provide information on the results of the investigations."