Part II
The Victims

Nunca Más (Never Again) - Report of Conadep  - 1984
 

Dagmar Hagelin

On 26 January 1977 at about 5 p.m., Norma Susana Burgos was arrested in the street by a commando from the Navy Mechanics School. A few hours later, at about 10.30 p.m., the same group, travelling in four cars, arrived with Norma Susana Burgos at her home at 317 Calle Sargento Cabral in El Palomar, Buenos Aires province. After raiding it they left, leaving seven heavily armed men there all night. The group was headed by Lieutenant Astiz; Corporal Peralta of the Police Station at El Palomar acted as 'expert', as he was familiar with the area.

On 27 January 1977 at 8.30 a.m., unaware that anything had happened, Dagmar Ingrid Hagelin arrived at the house to say goodbye and ask her friend Norma Burgos if she would also be 'going on holiday to the seaside'. As she got to the house Dagmar suddenly found herself held up by the occupants (who had mistaken her for María Antonia Berger whom they were waiting to arrest), which made her panic and start running away along Calle Pampa. Lieutenant Astiz and Corporal Peralta chased after her, whilst the other armed occupants of the house opened fire from the roof.

When Dagmar was more than 30 metres ahead of her followers Lieutenant Astiz knelt down, took out his regulation pistol and fired (only one shot) at the teenager, who fell flat on the pavement. Astiz ran towards the victim and kept his gun pointed at her whilst Corporal Peralta also pointed his gun at a neighbour, Oscar Eles, a taxi-driver, and made him get into the taxi. Driving to where Dagmar lay, they put the victim's bleeding body into the boot.

After collecting the rest of the group, they left in the car for an unknown destination. Subsequent investigation showed that Dagmar was taken to the Navy Mechanics School. When her parents learnt of the incident. Mr Hagelin went to an officer he knew for help, whom he took to talk to Norma's father and neighbours to find out what had happened. They then visited El Palomar Police Station, where Deputy Inspector Rogelio I. Vázquez said in response to the officer's demands: 'It was an official operation of the Armed Forces.'

Having checked all the hospitals and clinics in the area with no result, at 10.30 p.m. they went to Morón District Police Station, where the Chief of Police showed them a document from the previous day in which the Navy asked for 'a free zone', announcing that the participating unit belonged to the Navy Mechanics School and that four unmarked cars would be involved, of the same make and colour as those which were actually used.

Early on 28 January Dagmar's father went to the Swedish Embassy, as he and his daughter were Swedish subjects, and reported everything that had happened. Ambassador Bertie Kollberg took charge of the matter. He telephoned Morón District Police Station, confirming the intervention of the Armed Forces, and then telephoned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the seven and a half years since then, the Swedish Government and her father arid relatives have begun innumerable official and private proceedings in an attempt to rescue Dagmar, without result.

The official investigation into these incidents was being handled by Morón Criminal Court, Buenos Aires province, until the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces applied for a restraining order on the case and announced that investigations by the Military into the alleged illegal capture of Dagmar Ingrid Hagelin, with the aim of establishing the possible responsibility of naval officers, were to be permanently closed.