Defense seeks acquittal for Barrientos in Barracas hotel fire trial

Lawyers for Justo Fernando Barrientos have requested his acquittal in the trial concerning a May 2024 hotel fire in Barracas, Argentina. The defense argued for acquittal based on the benefit of the doubt, questioning whether evidence sufficiently proves Barrientos started the fire.

If the court finds him guilty, the defense requested a sentence for simple homicide rather than more severe charges. They argued against the application of aggravating factors such as treachery, cruelty, femicide, or the use of a medium capable of causing common danger, claiming insufficient evidence for these circumstances.

In contrast, the prosecution has requested life imprisonment. General Prosecutor Juan Manuel Fernández Buzzi alleged the attack was intentional and motivated by hatred toward the sexual orientation of the victims. The prosecution cited testimonies and forensic reports from the City Police, firefighters, and Federal Police to support the claim that the fire was deliberately started.

The fire occurred at a residential hotel on Olavarría Street, resulting in the deaths of Pamela Fabiana Cobas, Mercedes Roxana Figueroa, and Andrea Amarante. A fourth woman, Sofía Castro Riglos, survived with serious burns.