Mexico City forensic authorities apologize to family of Julio César Cervantes Cabañas

Authorities from the Mexico City Institute of Forensic Services and Forensic Sciences (Incifo) issued a public apology to the family of Julio César Cervantes Cabañas. The apology follows the unauthorized donation of his body to the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) after authorities failed to identify him in a timely manner.

The apology ceremony took place at the Mexico City Human Rights Commission (CDHCM) as part of the fulfillment of Recommendation 09/2025, which addressed human rights violations in the case. Laura Cabañas, the victim's mother, reported spending three years searching for her son across various states, facing numerous institutional omissions. She only learned of his whereabouts on November 1, 2024, by which time his body had already been donated to the IPN.

Arturo Gerardo Cervantes Arroniz, director of Incifo, acknowledged deficiencies in the human identification and information processing systems. He stated the apology serves to recognize the harm caused to the family and to commit the institution to preventing similar occurrences. Since 2025, the practice of lending or donating cadavers to schools has been halted.