Fourteen years laterLa Plata Quadruple Crime“, a case that shook the city and kept public opinion in a state of suspense, and the trial began on charges of perjury against Receiro Marcelo Tagliaferro And the neighbor Patricia Godoytwo of the key witnesses who testified against osvaldo “Karateka” Martinez, Friend of one of the victims, and the main accused until his acquittal in 2014.
Barbara Santos (29) -Martinez’s partner- his daughter Michaela Galley (11)His mother Susanna de Bartol (63) And her friend Marisol Pereira (35) They were killed in a house in the La Loma neighborhood on November 27, 2011. Based on the testimony of Tagliaferro and Godoy, Public Prosecutor Alvaro Garganta began an investigation into the martial arts teacher who was detained for six months in pretrial detention. After his acquittal, the court finally issued his ruling Javier “Hyena” Quiroga like Sole author From the massacre.
Quadruple crime in La Plata: trial of two witnesses accused of lying in their testimony against “Karateka” Martinez
Authoritarians don’t like this
The practice of professional and critical journalism is an essential pillar of democracy. This is why it bothers those who believe they are the bearers of the truth.
The session began with initial statements and confirmation that despite their presence 40 witnesses on the listfinally You will declare about halfThis is due to the agreement between the two parties. Before the testimonies began, the driver’s defense team, led by lawyer Gonzalo Escaray, requested that the press be removed from the room, arguing that the accused “He doesn’t want to be exposed“.
Members of the Fourth Oral and Criminal Court of La Plata They partly accepted itMartinez himself was one of the first witnesses to appear before the judges. ““I suffered a lot because of his statements.”Barbara’s former partner confirmed, at the same time, that she said, “She is not looking for revenge,” but rather wants justice.
In 2014, judges Santiago Paolini, Andres Vitale and Ernesto Domenech sentenced him to life imprisonment. To Quiroga by “Simple murder” against Bartoland “Qualified murder “Committed in an effort to escape punishment” in the other three murders. In the ruling, they ordered an investigation into Tagliaferro and Godoy “Aggravated perjury”It is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
First statements
The first witness was A Specialized journalist In the police, which covered the case from the beginning. During his testimony, he referred to the 2014 ruling of Oral Tribunal No. 3, which acquitted Martinez and convicted Quiroga, and described Tagliaferro as “Interested witness“, one of the foundations of the current process.
It was the driver who took Marisol Pereira home. He said at the time that when the young woman left, there was a man “between 20 and 40 years old, with a bare torso, who came out to greet her,” but that I couldn’t recognize him. Later, when Martinez’s photo spread through the media, He stated that he would recognize him If you see it. In doing so officially, he also signed up to collect reward 300 thousand pesos Offered by the Province of Buenos Aires to obtain information about this case.
Along these lines, the journalist mentioned a fact that raised suspicions: Tagliaferro could have accurately described the crime scene It only matches the embedded images The case will be discussed later, according to local media today.
The second one who testified was the TV channel member who accused the driver Harass him During media coverage of the case. “He followed me, sending me pictures of my kids leaving schoolHe confirmed that because of this situation, a blackboard was placed to prevent visual contact between the witness, the accused, and then the prosecutor. Mariano Sibuet He stated that he would request protective measures.
For his part, defender Escarai insisted on the innocence of the accused. Rejecting the accusations, he asserted that Tagliaferro and Gar Martinez “did not lie,” but rather that they were confused or could have. After he had “failures in his memory”.
Martinez’s testimony: ‘proven to be a lie’
Later, it was his turn Osvaldo Martinezalso known as “Alito,” is a private victim who spent months in detention in connection with the case. He expressed to the judges: “I have suffered greatly because of the statements made by Tagliaferro and Godoy; And also for what Public Prosecutor Alvaro Garganta didReferring to the judicial official, he said that he “clung to those false testimonies” to keep him in prison.
Regarding Godoy, he was categorical: “He said I had arrived home In leather and bloody The day of the murders. I have never seen that woman in my life and what he said was proven to be a lie.He finally added: “I don’t want revenge, I want justice.”
The close of the day was in hand Herminia LopezMartinez’s mother, who described the operation her son underwent as “corruptHe pointed out against the decisions of Garganta and Guillermo Atencio. Alito had said after the quadruple crime that he stayed at home to watch a movie and communicated with Barbaro via text messages.
The investigation concluded that No trace of him was found At La Loma’s house. However, investigations have located Quiroga, a young man known to the Santos family, who has been behind bars since the sentencing.
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