NEW autopsies show 30 people died from gunfire during protests in Peru over the coup against ousted president Pedro Castillo last December.

Reportedly at least 30 forensic reports cite gunfire as the cause of protesters’ deaths.

Some of the reports detail bullet calibres similar to those used by security forces in Peru.

Experts believe this indicates police and soldiers violated their operations manuals prohibiting shooting directly toward protesters unless there’s a serious risk to their own lives.

In December, Mr Castillo was ousted by Congress, arrested and replaced by his vice-president Dina Boluarte.

The coup government responded to popular protests with the worst violence seen in Peru for decades.

Carmen Rosa Cardoza, a Peruvian forensic anthropologist, said the autopsies show a pattern of “disproportionate use of force.”

“In the injuries by the firearm projectiles, there’s a pattern linked to human rights violations,” she said. 

Peru’s attorney general’s office launched an investigation but there have been no arrests.

In February, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed the organisation’s concern over the deaths of protesters.