Melmann case: relatives reject possible release of one of the convicts

Natalia Melmann’s family has rejected the possibility that one of the three police officers sentenced to life in prison for the crime will finish serving his sentence outside of prison, following a new request for parole. The 15-year-old was sexually abused and murdered in 2001, in the seaside resort of Miramar, in a case that shocked the country. The father of the victim, Gustavo Melmann, asked the Criminal Enforcement Justice not to make room for the proposal presented days ago by the defense of Oscar Alberto Echenique (62) so that he can benefit from that regime.” It is not up to this person to return to society, he has to serve his prison sentence for the savagery they did. For us, as a family, it is torture to have to be on alert all the time for the constant requests to be released,” Melmann told Telam. He added: “We have not been able to complete the mourning for twenty years, thinking that one of these animals can return to the street.” In September 2002, Echenique was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Oral Criminal Court (TOC) 2 of Mar del Plata. He was sentenced along with two other former policemen, Ricardo Anselmini (54) and Ricardo Suárez (60); as co-author of the crimes of “abduction, sexual abuse with carnal access aggravated by the plurality of people and homicide criminis causa”. According to current legislation, since June 7 he has been able to aspire to a parole regime for having completed 20 years in prison, but he must also meet other requirements.

Original source in Spanish