Ecuadorian court accepts security footage as evidence in disappearance cases, with strict protocols

In Ecuador, security camera footage can play a vital role in investigating disappearances, potentially capturing a person's last known location, identifying companions, or documenting the vehicle they used. However, simply containing relevant information does not automatically grant these images judicial validity.

To be admissible in criminal proceedings, video evidence must be obtained directly from its original source, such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR). Authorities must ensure the integrity of the footage, meaning it has not been altered, and submit it for appropriate forensic analysis. A penal lawyer from IUS Firma de Abogados, José Elías Cárdenas Llerena, emphasizes that a specialist must properly extract the recording, documenting the device's technical characteristics and the procedure used.

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The file must be obtained properly by an expert.

The review process typically begins at the last known point of contact for the missing person. Investigators then search for cameras in the vicinity, on streets, in homes, businesses, banks, parking lots, and toll booths. By correlating timestamps and locations, investigators can construct a sequence of events, verify or contradict witness testimonies, identify vehicles, and determine who the person was with before they disappeared.

The National Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía) protocol for investigating disappearances includes reviewing footage from the ECU 911 emergency system, as well as public, private, and bank cameras, and those in high-traffic areas. Procedures involve creating image sequences, conducting facial comparisons, and extracting data from electronic devices. The use of digital forensic techniques, including calculating hash codes, unique digital identifiers for files, is essential to prove the authenticity and integrity of the video evidence, ensuring it is admissible in court.

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This code is like a person's identity card, because it allows each digital file to be individualized. If the video changes, even if it's a small alteration, its hash value will also be different.