María Fernanda case: court deliberates sentence for five accused in Coronel Oviedo
The Sentencing Court heard final arguments and will deliberate on five accused persons in the crime that occurred in Caaguazú.
Court begins deliberation on five accused in María Fernanda Benítez murder case
The Sentencing Court composed of judges Luis Ovelar, Víctor Vera and Andrea Riquelme heard final arguments on Tuesday in the trial for the murder of María Fernanda Benítez, which occurred in Coronel Oviedo, Department of Caaguazú, last year. According to reporting by ultimahora.com, the court will proceed to deliberate on five of the accused and sentences are awaited in the coming hours.
The main suspect in the case is not part of this trial. He faces a parallel process which, according to confirmation by prosecutor Fermín Segovia to the media, is 50 per cent advanced and could conclude in two or three weeks. The young man, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, is accused of femicide, attempted abortion and violation of parental authority. The maximum applicable penal framework would be eight years.
The accused and the Prosecution's requests
For Mikhaela Chiara Rolón Melgarejo, a friend of the main suspect, the Prosecution requested a prison sentence of 10 years. The prosecutors consider her a key figure in the incident, maintaining that she exercised psychological influence over the adolescent to commit the crime.
During her final statements, Rolón Melgarejo denied all responsibility. "I am innocent of what I am accused of, I did not know her. I trust in the Court, in Justice. I presented myself voluntarily and I hope that I will be given an opportunity to be with my family again," she declared before the court.
Rodrigo Villamayor, owner of the residence where the motorcycle was found in which María Fernanda was last seen with the main suspect, maintained that he had collaborated with Justice from the beginning. "During the process my participation in collaborating with Justice has been demonstrated. I gave my participation so that he could be subjected to the process and I accompanied. The parents handed over their son of their own volition, not as has been attempted to be established during the trial," he stated.
Franco Acosta, linked to the pharmacy where abortive medications were allegedly sold to the main suspect, also denied his participation. "I did not participate in the incident attributed to me. I am not the owner of the pharmacy, I was never a manager nor proprietor nor was my participation ever demonstrated," he declared.
The parents of the accused ask for forgiveness
The mother of the main accused asked for forgiveness from the family members of the victim, although she clarified that she and her husband still do not understand what happened. "We still do not understand what could have happened. We were not there, we did not hear it from the mouth of our son, because he was in shock when we found him," she said. She added that "we are another victim because we still do not understand as parents what is really what could have happened".
The father of the accused also expressed himself in the same vein. "It is very painful what happened and once again I ask for forgiveness from the family members," he stated. Both highlighted having collaborated with Justice from the first moment.
The pain of María Fernanda's family
The parents of the young woman took the floor during the trial. The father addressed the accused directly: "I lost everything because of them. They played with my daughter," he said, and added that "to the ends of the earth I will go to find out what they did to my daughter". "I want these monsters to go to jail," he lashed out.
María Fernanda's mother went further and demanded the maximum penalty for all those involved. Furthermore, she reported during the trial that she had been a victim of an attempted bribe. "I was offered 30 million guaraníes for my daughter," she declared before the court.
The trial parallel to the main accused
With the requests concluded, prosecutor Segovia explained to the media the situation of the process against the adolescent main suspect. "We have reached the documentary stage and in two or three weeks it could conclude," he stated, recalling that the maximum applicable penal framework for the young man is eight years of deprivation of liberty.
Source: Google News PY — Crime