Overview
- On August 13, the TOC No. 2 of Zárate-Campana convicted Claudio Contardi of aggravated sexual abuse and imposed a 19-year sentence after a five-year case initiated by Julieta Prandi.
- On September 2, newly retained lawyer Fernando Sicilia submitted a 104-page recurso de casación that seeks to annul the trial, obtain acquittal on benefit of the doubt, and secure Contardi’s immediate freedom.
- The appeal argues procedural violations, including an invalid or uninformed waiver of trial by jury, lack of the required personal hearing, insufficient time for defense preparation, and omitted or rejected evidence and pericias.
- Sicilia says the challenge will move through the trial court, the appellate chamber and the Buenos Aires Cassation Court, estimating eight to twelve months for higher-court review if it advances.
- Contardi remains in a common cell at the Merlo detention facility while his defense requests a transfer to Campana, and public support for Prandi continues with partner Emanuel Ortega criticizing a machista justice system.