Examining Wrongful Convictions in Chile: An Analysis of Supreme Court Exonerations in 2007 to 2023

Drawing on data from the Supreme Court case registry between 2007 and 2023, this study examines 63 cases of wrongful convictions in Chile. It aims to contribute to the global understanding of the factors leading to wrongful convictions while underscoring the importance of contextual differences. Our analysis reveals traditional factors such as mistaken eyewitness identification and official misconduct, alongside Chile-specific issues. Notably, identity theft, exacerbated by weak procedural safeguards, emerges as a predominant factor. We argue that Chile’s restrictive post-conviction review process needs reform, as it currently only identifies cases involving gross errors, thereby overlooking many wrongful convictions that might be recognized in other jurisdictions