Mexico missing students: Police injured in protest

Despite several investigations, only the remains of three of the 43 have been found.

The whereabouts of the remaining 40 are unknown and while some of their relatives still hope to find them alive, they are widely presumed to be dead.

Two years ago, Mexico’s under secretary for human rights, Alejandro Encinas, said that local, state and federal officials had been involved in the students’ disappearance and called it a “state crime”.

He said that the government at the time of their disappearance had tried to cover up those links.

He also concluded that there was “no indication the students are alive”.

However, Mr Encinas’s 2022 report has come under criticism from the families of the disappeared.

The families say that the presidential commission led by Mr Encinas failed to look into military intelligence documents which the relatives think contain information which could shed light on the case.

The military has denied such documents exist.

The families and rights activists have held regular protests to keep up pressure on the government to solve the crime.

The release from pre-trial detention of eight soldiers suspected of involvement in the case on Thursday incensed those demanding justice for the 43, who fear the eight could flee if they are not behind bars.

Prosecutors say the eight were on patrol in the area where the students went missing on the night of their disappearance.

They have been charged with forced disappearance and organised crime and are required to report to court twice a month.