An Argentinian mom and her female partner accused of killing and sexually abusing the mother’s 5-year-old son were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, according to reports.
The Buenos Aires Times reported that Magdalena Espósito Valenti, the mother of 5-year-old Lucio Dupuy, and her partner, Abigail Páez were previously found guilty of aggravated homicide, and after 15 days of deliberating on a sentence, the Oral Court of Santa Rosa in La Pampa settled on life terms for both women.
The two women are accused of beating Lucio to death on Nov. 26, 2021.
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The pair were responsible for caring for the child, and both were charged with aggravated homicide in the boy’s death. Páez was found guilty on an additional count of sexual abuse, according to InfoBae.
The Times reported that according to the allegations, Valenti and Páez killed Lucio between 5:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., after months of abuse.
At one point, the women alleged said that the boy fell during an attempted robbery of their home. The women were arrested after medical tests painted a picture of abuse.
Their attorneys claim neither woman intended to kill Lucio.
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Neither Valenti or Páez were at the reading of the verdict, handed down by Judges Alejandra Ongaro, Daniel Sáez Zamora and Andrés Olié.
The same judges found Valenti guilty of three counts of aggravated homicide, the publication reported, though she was not found guilty of sexual abuse.
Páez, on the other hand, was found guilty of “seriously outrageous sexual abuse,” the Times reported, based on her being a guardian of the minor and taking advantage of living together to commit the offense.
Páez was also convicted of two counts of aggravated homicide, qualified by intent and malice aforethought.
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According to the ruling, both Páez and Valenti understood the crime they committed and were to register as sex offenders.
The judges wrote in their decision that Páez “has clear notions of right and wrong, just and unjust, lawful and unlawful, knows that the alleged act constitutes a crime and knows the responsibilities that would correspond to her, that is, she understands the criminality of her acts and can direct her actions.”
Prosecutor Verónica Ferrero told the Times that both Valenti and Páez would be jailed for the rest of their lives.
“Because of the article of the Penal Code under which they were sentenced, the defendants cannot ask for parole even when they are over 50 years old,” the prosecutor said. “It is a life sentence, they have no possibility of release; they cannot ask for parole after any term has passed.”
