Trial at Córdoba's Neonatal: life imprisonment for nurse Brenda Agüero

In a historic trial, nurse Brenda Agüero was sentenced to life imprisonment for the  murder of five newborn babies at the Materno Neonatal Hospital in Córdoba.

By majority decision,  Agüero, 27 years old, who had been in custody since August 2022, was found guilty of aggravated homicide by repeated insidious procedure in five cases and of the same crime in the degree of attempted homicide in eight cases.

Meanwhile, the court sentenced former director Liliana Asís to five years in prison along with four other former officials, while the former Minister of Health of the Province, Diego Cardozo, was acquitted of the crime of omission of public official duties.

In a split decision, former Secretary of Health Pablo Carvajal was convicted, the only ministerial official to receive a sentence.

Carvajal was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of disqualification, without loss of liberty and under bail.

He was held responsible for concealment and failure to report.

The deaths of the babies occurred between March and June 2022.

The decision was announced after nine and a half hours of deliberation by the court together with the eight lay jurors who participated in an extensive process that began on January 6 and took place over 57 hearings attended by 99 witnesses.

The nurse became the first serial killer convicted by Córdoba's justice system in its criminal history.

Sentences in the Córdoba Neonatal Hospital trial

• Brenda Agüero (nurse): life imprisonment for aggravated homicide by insidious procedure in five cases and aggravated attempted homicide in eight repeated cases.
• Liliana Asís (former director of the Neonatal Hospital): five years in prison and four years of special disqualification from holding public office.
• Pablo Carvajal (provincial Deputy Secretary of Health): four years in prison and three years and six months of special disqualification from holding any public office.
• Alejandro Escudero Salama (Administrative Deputy Director): five years in prison and four years of special disqualification from holding any public office
• Adriana Moralez (Patient Safety): five years in prison.
• Marta Gómez Flores (Head of Neonatology at the Neonatal Hospital): five years in prison.

Acquittals after the trial at the Neonatal Hospital in Córdoba

• Diego Cardozo (Minister of Health)
• Alejandro Gauto (Legal Secretary)
• Claudia Rinhelgeim (Deputy Director of the Neonatal Hospital)
• Alicia Ariza (Head of Nursing)
• María Luján (ICU Coordinator)

Long day at the Neonatal Hospital trial

The day, which began around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, was marked by displays of grief for the murdered babies.

There were photos and t-jerseys with the children's faces and themed balloons.

Amid that wait, on the third floor the jurors proceeded to the decision together with the court composed of judges Patricia Soria, José Daniel Cesano, and Laura Huberman.

In addition to announcing the decision regarding the criminal charges for the 11 defendants,  the reading of the verdict took several minutes to present the conclusions regarding the multiple civil actions.

Moments earlier, Dr. Soria, president of the court, gave extensive thanks for the development of the complex process and was even moved during her message.