School caretaker in La Paz to remain imprisoned over sexual abuse allegation
Bolivian justice upheld the detention of a 62-year-old employee at Marcelino Blanco school, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage pupil.
School caretaker in La Paz to remain imprisoned over sexual abuse allegation
A 62-year-old employee working as a security guard at Marcelino Blanco school, located in the city of La Paz, will remain in custody while an investigation proceeds against him for an alleged sexual assault on an underage student. The decision was taken by the judge in charge of the case, who dismissed a release petition submitted by the man's legal representatives.
The judicial proceedings began following an alarming incident recorded in September 2025, when a fourteen-year-old pupil barricaded herself in the school premises armed with a revolver. Following that event, the authorities opened an inquiry to determine what motivated the young woman's conduct.
As part of that investigation, the minor was interviewed at a specialist facility for statements from children and adolescents. During that interview, the student claimed she had been a victim of inappropriate touching by a member of staff responsible for the establishment's security. This disclosure led to an arrest warrant being issued against the suspect.
In March, judge Ricardo Schulsz ordered that the accused serve preventive custody. Weeks later, his defence counsel, solicitor Jorge Cantalejos, filed an appeal requesting that the precautionary measure be lifted. To support the request, he submitted statements from two teachers.
A Physical Education teacher stated that the victim had told her she had received inappropriate physical contact on her genitals during a sports class, precisely when she went to drink water. On the other hand, a Mathematics teacher declared that she completely did not know the accused and specified that her working hours did not coincide with the afternoon shift, thus ruling out any connection with the defendant.
During the proceedings, the caretaker refused to acknowledge the minor and maintained that he had committed no wrongdoing.
The court, however, did not consider the defence arguments conclusive and confirmed that the man will remain detained. It was also reported that the file still needs to be completed with two psychological evaluations that will be administered to the adolescent during the month of August.
Information obtained from Radio Regional
Source: Google News BO — La Paz