Argentina Supreme Court upholds perpetual prison for femicide perpetrators

Prosecutor Carlos Sale filed a petition before the Tucumán Provincial Court seeking to overturn the acquittal of César Soto for the 2006 murder of Paulina Lebbos, arguing the decision ignored gender‑based violence criteria and lacked sufficient scientific evidence. Sale contended the tribunal “fragmentó la prueba indiciaria” and failed to apply the required perspective of gender, urging a replacement sentence of life imprisonment.

Separately, Argentina’s Supreme Court of the Nation confirmed the 2017 conviction of Roberto Bermúdez for the 2011 kidnapping and murder of 11‑year‑old Candela Sol Rodríguez, maintaining his life‑sentence after the Court rejected all appeals. The ruling closes a fifteen‑year judicial process and emphasizes the need for gender‑sensitive handling of femicide cases.

Both decisions highlight ongoing challenges in Argentina’s criminal justice system regarding the consistent application of gender‑perspective standards in serious violent crimes.