Man charged with human trafficking in case of missing Uruguayan teenager found in Campana
The Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay has ordered preventive detention of Claudio Barrere Molinari, arrested following the search for a 15-year-old minor.
Preventive detention on human trafficking charges in the case of the young Uruguayan woman
The Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay processed Claudio Andrés Barrere Molinari, 37, with preventive detention in connection with the disappearance of a 15-year-old Uruguayan teenager. According to elonce.com, the accused was detained on 18 October in Campana, in Buenos Aires province, where the minor was found.
The ruling was issued on Tuesday 3 November by substitute federal judge Hernán Viri, who acceded to a request from prosecutor Josefina Minatta. The magistrate considered Barrere Molinari the presumed perpetrator of aggravated human trafficking, taking into account the victim's minority status, her vulnerability situation and the use of deception.
In addition to the human trafficking charges, the suspect faces allegations of simple sexual abuse, trafficking of a migrant person under 18 years of age, and facilitating her illegal stay in Argentina through alleged exploitation of her inexperience. The judicial decision does not constitute a final conviction and the investigation is continuing.
Viri converted the detention that the accused had been serving since the day of the search into preventive detention. He also ordered a freeze on his assets for five million Argentine pesos as part of the measures in the federal case.
Among the grounds for the prosecution, the judge cited the seriousness of the alleged crimes, the expectation of a heavy sentence and the risk of obstruction of the investigation. These elements determined the need to keep the suspect in custody whilst the proceedings advance.
The case originated from a report filed on 17 October by the Federal System for the Search of Missing and Lost Persons (SIFEBU). The teenager had been reported missing the previous day in Paysandú, Uruguay, which led to the activation of the Amber Alert in that country and the Sofía Alert in Argentina.
Cooperation between authorities in both countries made it possible to locate the young woman and arrest the suspect. According to security camera records incorporated into the investigation, the teenager allegedly crossed on foot into Entre Ríos in the area of Colón and then boarded a vehicle with the accused before being found in Buenos Aires territory.
During the search of the Campana property, a Peugeot Partner van, computers, mobile telephones and documents were seized. The young woman received assistance from the National Coordination for Rescue and Support to Victims of Human Trafficking and was taken to a care home.
The judicial ruling noted that key procedures remain to be carried out, including statements from the teenager, family members and witnesses, examinations of the seized telephones and obtaining video footage related to her entry into the country.
Barrere Molinari, born in Paysandú, refused to make a statement during questioning and is being represented by lawyers José E. Ostolaza and José A. Ostolaza. The investigation is seeking to establish whether other people participated in the alleged facts. Because the victim is a minor, her identity and details of her personal situation remain confidential.
Source: Google News UY — Crime