Case Law Database

Drug offences

Offences

• Purchase/ possession
• Offering/ offering for sale/ sale/ brokerage

Substances Involved

• Cocaine

Trafficking in persons

Sentence Nº 004/13

Fact Summary

This case was initiated following an anonymous call to the Local Office of the Argentinean Federal Police. This call reported that minors were being prostituted and drugs were being sold at a bar in the city of Paraná.

As a result of this call, the Federal Police launched an investigation in order to corroborate the information received. On a first stage of the investigation, the police enquiry established the existence and location of the bar, and the presence of young women at the premises. Some of these young women were presumably minors, and in fact a 15 and a 16 year old were once seen leaving the bar. On the second stage, the police found that drugs were being consumed, and that a woman (adult) was offering sexual services within the premises. In addition to this, five or six young women, presumably minors, were seen peeking in from the back of the bar. Finally, several neighbors stated that the bartender was selling drugs and that there were rooms in the back of the bar, which were used by the women to engage in prostitution.

Following these findings, a search of the bar was executed by the Argentinean Federal Police with the assistance of the Office for the Rescue and Support of Persons Affected by the Crime of Human Trafficking. Once inside the premises, the presence of nine women (adults and minors) and of four men was confirmed. The police proceeded to identify the women, among whom two were minors: G.A.N. and D.B.P.V. According to the testimonies of the relatives of the victims, the trafficker took advantage of the position of vulnerability of the victims, who were addicted to drugs, in order to exploit them sexually.

Este caso fue instigado por una llamada anónima realizada a la Oficina Local de la Policía Federal Argentina. Esta llamada informaba de que en un bar de la ciudad de Paraná se estaba prostituyendo a menores y se estaban vendiendo drogas.

Como resultado de esta llamada, la Policía Federal lanzó una investigación, a fin de corroborar la información recibida. En una primera fase de la investigación, se pudo establecer la existencia y localización del bar, y la presencia de mujeres jóvenes en dicho lugar. Algunas de estas mujeres eran presumiblemente menores de edad, y de hecho dos jóvenes de 15 y 16 años fueron vistas saliendo del bar. En una segunda fase, la policía constató que se consumían drogas en el local, y que una mujer (adulta) se hallaba ofreciendo servicios sexuales allí. Además de esto, cinco o seis mujeres, presuntamente menores, fueron vistas asomándose desde la parte trasera del bar. Finalmente, varios vecinos expresaron que el encargado de la barra vendía drogas y que había habitaciones en la parte de atrás del bar, que eran utilizadas por las mujeres para ejercer la prostitución.

A raíz de estos hallazgos, la Policía Federal Argentina ejecutó un registro del bar con la asistencia de la Oficina Nacional de Rescate y Apoyo a Personas Damnificadas por el Delito de Trata. Una vez dentro del local, se pudo constatar la presencia de nueve mujeres (adultas y menores) y de cuatro hombres. La policía procedió a identificar a las mujeres, entre las que se encontraban dos menores: G.A.N. y D.B.P.V. De acuerdo con los testimonios de los familiares de las víctimas, el acusado se aprovechó de la situación de vulnerabilidad previa de las víctimas, que eran adictas a las drogas, con el fin de explotarlas sexualmente.

Commentary and Significant Features

Because the trial took the form of an abbreviated trial procedure, the defendant acknowledged his participation in the events. In any case, the Court explained that the mere confession was not enough, so the Court relied, above all, on the extensive investigation carried out by the officers of the Argentinean Federal Police., which accounted for the criminal offenses that were being committed at the property owned by the defendant.


Observations and evidence in the case:

1)     Anonymous call (complaint) recorded by the automated voicemail of line 131 of the local delegation of the Federal Police of Argentina.

2)     Police enquiry, through which several facts were established: the existence of the brothel; the presence of women, and allegedly of minors; the consumption of drugs. These aspects were also supported by the testimonies of neighbors.

3)     Record of the search. Federal police officers and personnel from the National Rescue Programme participated. The ID of one of the victims, condoms, intimate gel, a knife and several annotations made on graph paper were found inside the cash register.

4)     Forensic analysis of the substances found at the premises and in the defendant’s personal belongings, which tested positive for cocaine.

5)     Report elaborated by the psychologists, professionals at the National Rescue Programme(agency that questions potential victims immediately after the search and conducts separate interviews with them).

6)     Photographs of the place and the seized elements at the time of the search.

7)     Forensic chemical tests and laboratory reports on the substances found on the defendant. Positive for cocaine.

8)     Testimonies of the parents of the victims.

9)     Testimonies of the professionals at the Victim Rescue Office.

In this case, it is interesting to see that while the victims provided their versions of events regarding the activity they were forced to perform, the fact remains that the highly efficient enquiries carried out by law enforcement were the central piece of evidence in this case. Particularly, we must take into account that the photographs/videos really helped the judges visualize the state and conditions that the victims were in.

El acusado admitió su participación en los hechos, y por consiguiente el juicio siguió el procedimiento de juicio abreviado. En cualquier caso, el Tribunal explicó que la mera confesión del acusado no era suficiente para condenar, por lo que el Tribunal se apoyó, ante todo, en la investigación exhaustiva llevada a cabo por los oficiales de la Policía Federal Argentina, la cual daba cuenta de los delitos que se estaban cometiendo en el local propiedad del acusado.

Comentarios y pruebas en este caso:  

 

Llamada anónima (denuncia) grabada por el contestado automatic de la línea 131 de la delegación local de la Policía Federal Argentina.

 

1)     Investigación policial, a través de la cual se pudieron establecer varios hechos: la existencia del prostíbulo, la presencia de mujeres y presuntamente de menores; el consume de drogas. Estos aspectos también encontraron soporte en los testimonios de varios vecinos.

2)     Acta del registro. Participaron oficiales de la Policía Federal y personal de el Programa Nacional de Rescate. Se encontraron el DNI de una de las víctimas, así como condones, gel íntimo, un cuchillo y varias anotaciones realizadas en papel cuadriculado dentro de la caja registradora.

3)     El análisis forense de las sustancias encontradas en el local y entre las pertenencias del acusado, que dio positivo para cocaína.

4)     Informe elaborado por las profesionales psicólogas del Programa Nacional de Rescate (agencia que interroga y acompaña a las potenciales víctimas inmediatamente después del registro y que lleva a cabo entrevistas separadas con ellas).

5)     Fotografías del local y de los elementos secuestrados durante el registro.

6)     Análisis químicos e informes del laboratorio forense sobre las sustancias encontradas en posesión del acusado. Positivo para cocaína.

7)     Testimonios de los padres de las víctimas.

8)     Testimonios de las profesionales de la Oficina Nacional de Rescate.

 

En este caso, es interesante ver que aunque las victimas proporcionaron su version de los hechos en referencia a la actividad que se vieron forzadas a realizar, el hecho es que el eje central probatorio en este caso descansó sobre las eficientes investigaciones llevadas a cabo por las fuerzas policiales. En particular, debemos tener en cuenta que las fotografías/videos ayudaron a que los jueces pudieran realmente visualizar el estado y las condiciones en que se hallaban las víctimas.

Sentence Date:
2013-03-05
Author:
UNODC

Keywords

Trafficking in Persons Protocol:
Article 3, Trafficking in Persons Protocol
Article 5, Trafficking in Persons Protocol
Acts:
Recruitment
Harbouring
Receipt
Means:
Abuse of power or a position of vulnerability
Purpose of Exploitation:
Exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation
Form of Trafficking:
Internal
Sector in which exploitation takes place:
Commercial sexual exploitation

Cross-Cutting Issues

Liability

... for

• completed offence

... based on

• criminal intention

... as involves

• principal offender(s)

Investigation Procedure

Involved Agencies

• Argentine Federal Police
• Office for the Rescue and Support of Persons Affected by the Crime of Human Trafficking

Special investigative techniques

• Special investigative techniques
• Electronic or other forms of surveillance

Victims / Plaintiffs in the first instance

Victim:
G.A.N.
Gender:
Child
Nationality:
Argentine
Age:
15
Victim:
D.B.P.V
Gender:
Child
Nationality:
Argentine
Age:
16

Defendants / Respondents in the first instance

Defendant:
Hugo Daniel Altamirano
Gender:
Male
Nationality:
Argentine
Age:
39
Born:
1973
Legal Reasoning:

This decision contains an interesting novelty in the field, as it sentences the defendant for considering him responsible for the crime of human trafficking, and holds that there is an “actual overlapping of offences” with the following offences: administration and/or management of a brothel, and drug possession for sale or distribution.

On the 5th of March 2013, The Oral Criminal Federal Court of Paraná sentenced -unanimously- the defendant to four (4) years and six (6) months of prison –with the effective and full enforcement of the sentence- after finding him perpetrator of and responsible for the crimes of human trafficking, in the form of recruitment, and/or harboring or receipt of persons under 18 years of age, with the purpose of sexual exploitation; overlapping with the crimes of  administration and/or management of a brothel, of possession of drugs for sale or distribution, and of use of drugs, aggravated by the use of children under 18 years of age, or by the prejudice to the latter –art. 145 ter of the Penal Code, art. 17 of Law 12.331, arts. 5 inc. c), 10 and 11 inc. a) of Law 23.737.

The case was settled after the defendant and the prosecutor reached an agreement for an abbreviated trial procedure, whereby the defendant accepted the responsibility for the investigated events and the imposition of a sentence that was subsequently approved by the Court. In any case, the judges held that “… whilst the Court deems that such an agreement implies the defendant’s confession, the events and actions the defendant has admitted to must be confirmed by the evidence, in the light of sound rational criticism, in order to avoid convicting an innocent or someone who must not be penalized, for the sake of procedural celerity.”

For this reason, the judges based their decision on the diverse documentary evidence in the case; on the different testimonies and statements gathered in the file; in the elements that were found and seized during the search; on the chemical tests and laboratory reports; among others.
Finally, the Court held that “…having the defendant A. admitted his responsibility regarding the aforementioned offences, and in the absence of justifying causes for his behaviour, he deserves a criminal sanction as the perpetrator of these crimes; as both the objective and subjective elements of the criminal offences have been sufficiently proved”.

Esta sentencia contiene una novedad interesante en la materia, ya que condena al acusado por considerarlo responsable del delito de trata de persona, y mantiene que existe un concurso ideal de delitos con el de administración y/o regenteo de una casa de tolerancia, y el de posesión de droga para su comercialización.

El 5 de Marzo de 2013, el Tribunal Oral en lo Criminal Federal de Paraná, sentenció –por unanimidad- al acusado a cuatro años y seis meses de prisión – con el cumplimiento íntegro efectivo de la pena- tras hallarlo culpable y responsable de los delitos de tráfico de persona en la modalidad de captación y acogimiento o recepción de personas menores de edad, con fines de explotación sexual; en concurso ideal con los delitos de administración y/o regenteo de una casa de tolerancia, el de posesión de droga para su comercialización, y el de uso de drogas agravado por haberse cometido en perjuicio de menores de edad.–art. 145 ter del Código Penal, art. 17 de la Ley 12.331, arts. 5 inc. c), 10 y 11 inc. a) de la Ley 23.737.

El caso se resolvió después de que el acusado y la Fiscalía llegasen a un acuerdo de juicio abreviado, en el cual el acusado aceptó la responsabilidad por los delitos investigados y la imposición de una sentencia que fue aprobada posteriormente por el Tribunal. En cualquier caso, los jueces mantuvieron que “aun entendiendo que tal acuerdo lleva implícita la confesión del imputado, lo admitido debe ser corroborado con la confrontación de la prueba cargosa, a la luz de la sana critica racional, para evitar que en aras de la celeridad procesal se arribe a la condena de un inocente o de quien no deba ser penalizado.” Por este motivo, los jueces basaron su decisión en la diversa prueba documental; en los diferentes testimonios y declaraciones recogidos en el caso; en los elementos hallados y requisados durante el registro; en los tests químicos e informes de laboratorio; entre otros. Finalmente el Tribunal resolvió que “…habiendo el procesado A. reconocido su responsabilidad en orden a los ilícitos descriptos, y no existiendo causas de justificación respecto de su conducta, es que se hace merecedor del reproche penal como autor material de los delitos antes descriptos; en razón de haberse acreditado suficientemente tanto los elementos objetivos como subjetivos de los  tipos penales invocados.”

Charges / Claims / Decisions

Defendant:
Hugo Daniel Altamirano
Charge:

Trafficking in persons offence

Legislation / Statute / Code:

Art. 145 ter, Penal Code (Argentina)

Charge details:

Trafficking in persons where the victims were minors

Trata de personas menores de edad

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge:

Drug type of offence

Legislation / Statute / Code:

Art. 5 inc. c), Law 23.737

Charge details:

Possession of drugs for their sale or brokerage

Posesión de drogas para su comercialización

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge:

Drug type of offence

Legislation / Statute / Code:

Art. 10 and 11 inc. a), Law 23.737

Charge details:

Use of drugs (aggravated by the harm to a minor/minors)

Uso de sustancias narcóticas (agravado por haberse cometido en perjuicio de menores)

Verdict:
Guilty
Charge:

Prostitution type of offence

Legislation / Statute / Code:

art. 17, Law 12.331

Charge details:

Managing and/or operating a brothel

Regenteo o administración de una casa de tolerancia

Verdict:
Guilty
Term of Imprisonment:
4 years 6 Months
Fine / Payment to State:
Yes  13000  pesos  (Up to 10,000 USD)

Court

Oral Federal Criminal Court of Paraná