In recent hours, juvenile criminal judge Laura Beatriz De Marinis has once again found herself at the center of a controversy due to a judicial decision made in 2024, which has generated strong criticism from society.
According to information revealed by journalist Luis Gasulla, on January 1, 2024, in Villa Lugano, the Kirchnerist magistrate intervened in a case where she ended up convicting a police officer and released a dangerous underage criminal who had been arrested for an attempted robbery.
The episode began when a 15-year-old minor, who was about to turn 16, was discovered by City Police officers while attempting to steal a motorcycle. The teenager was chased by the officers until they finally managed to apprehend him.
The arrested thief
During the chase, the young thief was holding an object that appeared to be a weapon, although it was later determined that it was not.
In the midst of the procedure, one of the police officers involved in the chase gave a light kick to the suspect's head while he was on the ground, still holding the object in his hands. The blow caused a small cut on his lip.
For that incident, the officer was sentenced by the Kirchnerist judge to two years of suspended prison for the crime of "minor injuries" and was also dismissed from the City Police.
To make matters worse, the criminal who had been detained while attempting to steal the motorcycle was released and did not receive a sentence.
Even the police officer's defense attorney questioned the magistrate's actions and, according to what Gasulla revealed, stated: "We have been suffering this judge for a long time", referring to her attitudes in favor of criminals.
Laura Beatriz De Marinis, the Kirchnerist judge
The precedent of gas station attendant Arturo López
De Marinis's actions had also come under scrutiny due to another controversial case. At the end of December 2023, just 11 days after taking office in her court, the judge decided to lift the house arrest of Carlos Manuel Andrés, who had brutally beaten gas station attendant Arturo López in 2021.
The attack left López knocked out and with irreversible consequences. The judge's decision sparked a strong controversy in society.
Miriam, López's ex-wife and attorney, harshly criticized the ruling and stated that, with decisions like that, "the criminal becomes the victim". She also filed a criminal complaint regarding the judge's indifference to the gas station attendant's health, who was left with a permanent reduction in his cognitive functions.
The recent case that reignited the controversy
De Marinis's past actions became relevant again following her recent decision in a case involving a 14-year-old thief accused of attempted robbery. In that case, the magistrate questioned the application of the new Juvenile Criminal Regime to the specific case and ordered the dismissal of the minor.
The ruling generated strong controversy and reignited questions about the judge's criteria regarding cases involving underage thieves.
