Salta: Nancy Rodríguez’s femicide sentenced to life in prison

A 43-year-old man was sentenced yesterday in the province of Salta to life imprisonment for the femicide of his ex-partner, Laura Nancy Rodríguez. The incident occurred on May 12, 2021 in a farm located in the Salta town of La Merced.La sentence was specified by Judge María Victoria Montoya, member of Chamber II of the Trial Court of this province, who sentenced Darío Germán López to the maximum penalty provided for in the Criminal Code for the crimes of “homicide aggravated by the pre-existing relationship/ relationship, for mediating gender violence” and “for cruelty and treachery”. The crime occurred days after López regained his freedom since he had been imprisoned due to a complaint of gender violence made by the woman who later ended up murdering. On May 12, 2021, Nancy went to the farm where her ex-partner resided, located at kilometer 166 of National Route 68, at the height of the Salta town of La Merced, with the purpose of looking for food for the daughters she had in common with López.When they were alone in a secluded place López attacked the woman, who received at least 12 stab wounds to the chest that affected his stomach, chest and neck and died as a result of hypovolemic shock.

According to the spokesmen, the relatives of the defendant alerted 911 about what happened. On the last day of the trial, the defendant testified and described his relationship with Rodriguez as “normal.” In turn, the condemned said that it was not the one who murdered his ex-partner, but a third person who allegedly would have accompanied Nancy that day to the farm. The prosecutor of the case had requested life imprisonment, while the defendant’s defense requested 6 years because they understood that there was “homicide by violent emotion”. Despite the account of the defendant and his defense, the judge decided to grant him the maximum sentence.    

Original source in Spanish