Montería officials launch hunt for suspect in alleged sexual assault

Governor Erasmo Zuleta of Colombia's Córdoba department and Mayor Hugo Kerguelén of Montería responded to a reported sexual assault that occurred on July 27 when a young woman accepted a ride from a man posing as a private taxi driver after her phone battery died. The victim fled the moving vehicle and filed a criminal complaint. The authorities said the municipal administration, the Metropolitan Police, the Attorney General's Office and the Department's Secretariat of Government are working together to collect evidence, identify the alleged perpetrator and provide comprehensive support to the victim. Both officials urged citizens to report any information through the emergency line 123, emphasizing that violence against women will not be tolerated and that Montería will not be a place of impunity.