House arrest granted to woman accused of covering up Érika Álvarez murder
Judge Jimena Suárez granted house arrest to Justina Gordillo, ex-partner of the main defendant. The victim's mother was removed from the courtroom upon learning of the ruling.
Gordillo to serve preventive detention at home with electronic ankle monitoring
The courts granted house arrest to Justina Gordillo, one of the defendants in the case of the murder of Érika Antonella Álvarez, according to lagaceta.com.ar. The ruling was handed down on Tuesday by Judge Jimena Suárez in a hearing that concluded turbulently: the victim's mother was removed from the courtroom after reacting strongly upon hearing the decision.
The murder occurred on 7 January. On that day, Érika went to the home of Felipe "El Militar" Sosa, who according to the prosecution killed her by beating. The following day, her body was found in an undeveloped area of Manantial Sur, where it had been abandoned.
Sosa was charged with homicide and was arrested later in Buenos Aires. The investigation also extended to Gordillo, the defendant's ex-partner and a court employee, who was arrested in February. Investigators identified her as a participant in manoeuvres aimed at covering up the crime and protecting the main defendant.
For more than six months, her lawyers, María Florencia Abdala and Camilo Atim, questioned the accusation and demanded Gordillo's release. The motion was examined again by the appeals court as the case approaches the trial stage.
In the hearing, both the Public Prosecutor's representative and the plaintiffs opposed the defence's request. Nevertheless, Judge Suárez decided to grant the requested benefit.
The measure does not amount to full freedom. To leave the facility where she is being held, Gordillo must pay a bond of $100 million and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, according to judicial sources.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires