Regional Defender of Coquimbo delivers his public account at the University of La Serena

public account defender 

"39% of the defendants that the defenders represented in oral trials were acquitted." That was one of the relevant data that the regional defender of Coquimbo, Alejandro Viada, announced during the public account of the 2013 management carried out in the Multipurpose Room of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics of the University of La Serena, which It was attended by regional and university authorities, directors and students from the State Law School, criminal defenders and officials from the Regional Defender's Office. 

Viada explained that during that period the defenders attended to 727 defendants in 599 oral trials, of which 443 were convicted and 284 were acquitted, which corresponded to 39%. 

However, he revealed, the most worrying thing is that of the total number of acquitted people, 85 remained deprived of liberty during the investigation stage or part of it. ''Any evidence dependent on a person's memory can be fallible when remembering distressing or tense details and prosecutors must make a first examination of its technical rigor to avoid evidence that is initially convincing, but ultimately erroneous,'' Viada emphasized. 

The authority highlighted that in the majority of cases of acquittal sentences, worrying factors were seen in the investigation that determined the result and, he added, that these are mainly erroneous identifications by witnesses and limitations of science, which prevent an investigation. appropriate. To this, he explained, are added false or forced confessions, illegitimate pressure, anonymous witnesses, lack of thoroughness in photographic examinations and lineups of prisoners.

other figures

In other data of interest, the regional defender stated that last year 13.528 new admissions were registered, which meant a slight increase of 1,4% compared to 2012. Meanwhile, the terms, he said, reached 14.385 cases.

The authority added that in terms of age, 11.811 defendants were over 18 years of age and 1.716 were adolescents, a figure that corresponded to 15% of the total defendants admitted. Of the total number of young people served, 1.304 corresponded to the age group between 16 and 17; while 412 for the section between 14 and 15 years old. Regarding gender, he noted that 11.417 people were men and 2.111 women. 

Viada also stated that the most frequent crimes reported were simple theft with 14%, less serious injuries with 12%, simple threats with 8% and drunk driving with 7%.

Meanwhile, the main forms of termination of the cases corresponded to the conditional suspension of the procedure with 25%, the conviction without benefit and without suspension 12%, the rebellion of the accused with 11% and the sentence with benefit without suspension with 10%.

Present at this activity were the Seremi of Justice, Carlos Gallegullos, the general secretary of the ULS, M.Sc. Sergio Zepeda, the dean of FACSE, Mg. Jorge Fernández, the director of the Law degree, Mg. Gonzalo Plaza, among other guests.