$37 Million Awarded In Alien Tort Statute Case

Seth Miles

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

United States District Judge awarded $37,000,000 to two survivors of a massacre in a Peruvian village. Both survivors were children and witnessed the slaughter that left 69 dead. The defendant, Telmo Hurtado, was a Second Lieutenant in Peru's army looking for members of the Shining Path rebel group.

The suit was brought inder the Alien Tort Statute that permits victims to sue for acts that violate the laws of nations. Recovery is unlikely in this case, particularly against an individual like Hurtado. However, it does set an important precedent in South Florida which is a haven for those fleeing similar abuses and helps open the door for similar actions in the future.