The trial of the rugbiers that has been taking place in the Dolores courts since January 2 has already reached half the process and next week will be key to its development. The parents of Fernando Baez Sosa, beaten to death on January 18, 2020 at the door of the Le Brique nightclub, in Villa Gesell; expect a life sentence for the eight defendants, but the defense in charge of Hugo Tomei waits for his moment to try to turn the overwhelming burden of proof against the defendants.
So far, the victim’s friends, the patovicas who worked in the bowling alley at the time of the beating, the father of Fernando’s girlfriend, the first policemen who intervened in the investigation, the rower Paul Ventura falsely accused by the detainees, the officers who arrested the defendants, the experts who analyzed the DNA in the rugbiers’ clothing, the experts who did facial recognition on the videos of the beating, the firefighters who came to the door of the nightclub and a young man who had a previous problem with the defendants, among others.
As of Monday, however, a different stage will begin and that is that the witnesses summoned by the defense attorney will appear in court, who, at the last moment, made a surprising change in the scheduled schedule: Tomei requested that the statement of Alejo Guarino and Juan Pablo Milanesi, the two rugby players who were detained after the beating but were later dismissed, be brought forward by 2 days; and for this reason his statement will be made on Monday and not on Wednesday the 18th, a date that coincided with the third anniversary of the brutal crime.
That same day he will also appear before the Justice Thomas Colazo, known as the “number 11” rugbier. The boy had gone out to dance with the defendants and for this reason the prosecution also investigated him, but his participation was finally ruled out. His statement could be revealing since, as a witness, he will be subjected to questions from both the lawyer Fernando Burlandowhich represents Grace Sosa Y silvino baez, Fernando’s parents; as of the prosecution and he will be obliged to tell the truth under penalty of a possible accusation for false testimony if he did not do so. The same will also happen with Guarino and Milanesi, much closer to the defendants, however.
Although Tomei does not say anything so as not to advance his strategy, everything indicates that he could have kept an ace up his sleeve. “The process is dynamic and anything can happen. There is nothing closed or programmed. In a debate certain situations arise and you have to be attentive to clarify things”he stated this Friday before the media at the end of the second week of the debate and added: “Everything is defined on Monday”.
Whether their lawyer has a letter prepared or not, the rugby players’ time is running out and they don’t have much more time to wait. As of next Wednesday, with the testimony of the last witnesses, among whom are their own parents; the pleadings stage will begin and the verdict will finally be known on the 31st of this month.
