Sentenced to 16 years for sexual abuse, the former governor will serve his house arrest in a top-level apartment
Compartir:
In a new display of the impunity that still persists in sectors of the judiciary, it was revealed this Tuesday that the court granted house arrest to José Alperovich, former national senator and three-time Kirchnerist governor of Tucumán, sentenced to 16 years in prison for the sexual abuse of his niece.
The measure, signed by Judge Juan María Ramos Padilla, comes just over a year after his detention in Ezeiza prison and is justified by health issues of the convicted individual, who, at 70 years old, submitted medical reports for chronic back pain, hypertension, and a presumed depressive condition. However, the decision has caused outrage because the former governor will serve his sentence in his own apartment in Puerto Madero, one of the most exclusive areas in the country and, paradoxically, the very place where part of the abuses occurred.
Alperovich y CFK.
The court document establishes that Alperovich must wear an electronic ankle monitor, is prohibited from having contact with the victim and her circle, and must pay a real bail of 400 million pesos (881,849 pounds). The transfer to his residence would take place in the coming hours.
The case that led him to prison was reported by his second niece and former private secretary in the Senate, who suffered the attacks between December 2017 and March 2018, both in Tucumán and in Buenos Aires City. Prosecutor Sandro Abraldes specified that one of the abuses occurred precisely in the same apartment where he will now serve his house arrest.
The conviction, issued on June 18, 2024, found Alperovich guilty of nine acts, including six aggravated sexual abuses with carnal access and three simple sexual abuses (two of them in the degree of attempt). "The evidence is serious, precise, consistent, and based on proven facts that, when related, lead us to a single result", Ramos Padilla stated when issuing the sentence. The complainant's testimony was supported by physical and psychological expert reports and by numerous corroborating testimonies.
In addition to the sentence, Alperovich was permanently disqualified from holding public office, a measure that seals his political downfall, although it doesn't prevent him, in material terms, from maintaining his high standard of living and the benefits of a judicial system that still seems to respond to partisan interests.
José Alperovich
Just three months after the conviction, Alperovich's children began to press for a mitigation of the sentence. In a court filing, Gabriel, Mariana, Sara, and Daniel Alperovich offered to be "personal guarantors" and committed to living with their father 24 hours a day, in addition to surrendering their passports to demonstrate that there was no risk of flight. "Our father has always complied with the law", they stated in their brief.
Since his admission to Ezeizaprison, Alperovich's defense has alleged a critical health condition. In addition to chronic back pain, the defense cited hypertension and the need for regular medical check-ups. He was treated both at the Central Penitentiary Hospital and at the Italian Hospital, and in May, his former partner Marianela Mirra posted a photo of him in a clinic on social media, which was interpreted as part of a strategy to elicit sympathy from public opinion and the court. In March 2025, reports from the Penitentiary Service confirmed a state of depression and lack of motivation, aggravated by the rejection of repeated requests for parole.
