This is how the investigations into the murder of Juliana Giraldo by Army shooting go – Investigation – Justice

At the Miranda military base, Cauca, the 19-year-old regular soldier responsible for the murder of Juliana Giraldo on Thursday morning remains, when he was traveling in a vehicle with his partner and two other people.

The soldier, born in the north of Valle del Cauca and who turns 20 at the end of October, was one of the members of the group of uniformed men whose service had been extended due to the pandemic. That group had finished its compulsory military service in the first semester and it was extended, leaving them five more months in the Army.

(Also read: The scenarios that the military who shot Juliana will face)

The uniformed man and his fellow unit members have already delivered their first version of what happened and, in fact, several of the soldiers were transferred this Friday to the site where the death of the victim was recorded, to reconstruct the events.

According to the version delivered by the soldiers, they were conducting control of vehicles when the vehicle in which the victim and his companions were traveling tried to return, one of the uniformed men who was part of the security of the checkpoint and who was hiding in the middle of the brush fired hitting the vehicle and the victim. According to their versions, after the fact the uniformed man who shot tried to kill himself.

(It may interest you: Juliana Giraldo had denounced discrimination at military checkpoints)

General Marco Mayorga, commander of the Army’s Third Division, pointed out that a first version is that the military man shot the tires of the car and that one of the bullets hits the ground and ends up hitting the woman causing her immediate death. “This soldier is a peasant boy, who has certain fears and acted thoughtlessly,” said the officer.

This version partially coincides with the one delivered by Francisco Larrañaga, the victim’s husband, who says that there was an Army on the road, but that there was no established checkpoint and he decided to return after remembering that he did not have his documents. Larrañaga said that the uniformed man shot directly at the car and not at the ground.

The Prosecutor’s Office, the Army Inspection and the Attorney General’s Office have inquiries on the subject. The prosecuting body appointed a group of investigators trained in gender issues, taking into account that the victim was a transgender woman. The researchers already made the technical inspection of the corpse and the seizure of the Army weapons and the car in which the victim was mobilizing.

Although the criminal case is being brought forward by the Prosecutor’s Office today, it could go to the Military Criminal Justice if it is considered that it occurred in an act of service. For now, the Prosecutor’s Office is processing the case as homicide, although only the investigation will determine whether it is aggravated or pre-intentional. Depending on the crime, the penalty could range from 25 to more than 38 years in prison.

The Prosecutor’s Office hopes to have the opinion of Forensic Medicine to scientifically corroborate the versions about the distance in which the shot was fired and the trajectory that the bullet followed that ended the life of Giraldo.

Likewise, evidence was collected at the scene of the events. With the results of the tests, people close to the case pointed out, it will be possible to advance in the imputation of charges. Further, the researchers met with a representative of the local LGBTI community.

(Also: Prosecutor’s Office opens investigation into the murder of Juliana Giraldo

Consulted on the subject, servicemen and retired soldiers pointed out that the checkpoints are generally made up of a platoon (30 men), with a man in command. The members must wear the full uniform. The fences that identify them, reflectors and cones that allow to warn it must be used from afar to those who travel along a road or path.

At least 10 soldiers must be in charge of the procedure and the rest, guarding the perimeter and providing security in the area.

Retired General Jaime Lasprilla, former commander of the Army, indicated that the order is to identify oneself “and for no reason to shoot. That action can only be in response to a direct attack. “

For his part, Army Commander General Eduardo Zapateiro went to Miranda and met with the victim’s husband. The Government arranged the free commercial flight ticket for Juliana’s mother to return to the country in the next few hours from Spain.

Other Justice notes that may interest you:

-Guardians study to file contempt for apologies from the Ministry of Defense

-The problems that persist in the handling of assets seized from the mafia

-UN Verification Mission of the peace process is extended until 2021

JUSTICE
On twitter: @JusticiaET
[email protected]