The Kirchnerist judge Marta Elba Pascual, who recently suspended the application of the new Juvenile Criminal Regime in the province of Buenos Aires for 60 days, made a controversial statement regarding the brutal murder of Kim Gómez, the 7-year-old girl who died during a violent robbery in La Plata.
In an interview with Radio Now 97.9, Pascual claimed that she is in contact with the victim's father and described the brutal murder in a way that provoked immediate outrage from the journalist interviewing her.
“I am working with Kim's father from La Plata, regarding that incident, the one with the little girl who fell from the car”, the magistrate expressed, currently the head of the Juvenile Criminal Responsibility Court No. 2 of Lomas de Zamora.
The journalist immediately corrected her and harshly questioned that generous description: “She didn't fall, she was pushed, doctor. They destroyed her, they destroyed her life”.
Far from rectifying her statement, the pro-juvenile judge responded: “Yes... well, there are two versions”, clearly revealing her position aligned with juvenile delinquency and the role of "victims" of the murderers.
The words of the Kirchnerist generated a significant impact due to the circumstances legally established around the murder. Kim Gómez died after two criminals aged 17 and 14 approached her mother to steal the vehicle in Altos de San Lorenzo, La Plata.
One of Kim's killers was sentenced to 23 years; the other was released for being 14 years old.
The minor became trapped in the car and was dragged for more than 15 blocks while the criminals escaped with the stolen vehicle. The chase ended when the car crashed into a pole and the attackers fled, leaving the girl's body underneath the vehicle.
For the crime, Tobías Godoy, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, was sentenced to 23 years and 4 months in prison for homicide during a robbery. The second involved was 14 years old when the murder occurred and was beyond the reach of the criminal regime in effect at that time.
The K judge at the center of the controversy
The statements come at a time when Pascual is under heavy scrutiny for having suspended for 60 days the application of the new legislation in the province that reduced the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 14 years.
The magistrate argued that the admission of adolescents aged 14 and 15 into the system could generate problems of infrastructure, accommodation, and capacity in provincial institutions.
The judge would have operated under the sponsorship of Axel Kicillof according to journalistic reports
The decision provoked a strong reaction from La Libertad Avanza, which announced that it would proceed with a request for impeachment against Pascual, considering that the judge exceeded her powers by attempting to prevent the application of a law enacted by Congress.
Now, the manner in which the K judge referred to one of the most shocking crimes committed by underage murderers places her back at the center of the discussion about juvenile justice in Buenos Aires.
