Guaraní elderly woman detained for inciting lynching of minor in Santa Cruz
An indigenous woman aged 75 was remanded in custody after being identified as one of the people who incited a crowd to assault a 15-year-old boy, who died days later in a hospital in the capital of Santa Cruz.
Guaraní elderly woman detained for inciting lynching of minor in Santa Cruz
A criminal justice magistrate ordered the imprisonment of a septuagenarian belonging to the Guaraní nation, linked to the death of a 15-year-old boy following a collective assault recorded in Villa Paraíso, a sector of Plan Tres Mil. The precautionary measure set a period of twenty days at Palmasola prison.
The fatal incident occurred on the night of 25 June, when residents detained the young man alleging that he had entered a house. The officer in charge of the local police station, Colonel Miguel Burgoa, confirmed that uniformed officers arrived at the scene following an emergency call about a person being held by residents of the sector.
Prosecutors specialising in homicide, including Yolanda Aguilera and Rose María Barrientos, provided evidence including recordings in which the accused appears with a blunt object in her hands, exhorting those present. The adolescent was admitted to a hospital in the eastern city, where he died on 26 July after several weeks in intensive care.
In the judicial proceeding conducted on Wednesday, the legal representatives of the detainee argued that her status as an indigenous peasant woman granted her special protections that excluded deprivation of liberty. Judge Wilson Espada analysed these arguments and upheld the imprisonment, taking into account the advanced age of the accused.
Police investigations are considering various theories about the reasons that led the minor into the property. Some neighbours claim he attempted to steal valuable objects, whilst others suggest a possible attack against a girl. Despite this, Colonel Burgoa clarified that no one came forward before the authorities to lodge a formal complaint against the deceased.
Following the death, the Public Ministry opened proceedings for homicide. The Guaraní woman, for her part, faces charges of attempted homicide.
_Source: El Deber_
Source: El Deber