Court Orders Preventive Detention for Suspect in Rosario Femicide
An Argentine judge has ordered a two-year preventive detention for a former police officer accused of the femicide of Bárbara Aragón, while prosecutors keep the investigation open for potential accomplices.
A provincial court in Argentina has ordered a two-year preventive detention for Eliel S., a 37-year-old former police officer, who faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and femicide in connection with the death of 26-year-old Bárbara Aragón. The ruling was issued at the conclusion of an imputative hearing in Rosario.
Aragón was found dead on the morning of October 11 inside a residence on Juan José Paso Street in the northwestern sector of Rosario. Her body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and hidden inside a suitcase after her family initiated a search when she failed to make contact following a Saturday afternoon meeting.
Prosecutor Marina Bertolotti, speaking outside the Criminal Justice Center, stated that the presiding judge fully accepted the evidence, legal classifications, and arguments presented by the prosecution. Bertolotti noted that the defendant's account contradicted the technical and medical evidence gathered in the case file, pointing toward a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.
According to the prosecution's reconstruction of events, Aragón traveled to the address after coordinating a meeting through a ride-sharing application. Investigators established that the victim had asked the driver to return for her shortly after arrival because the suspect lacked the funds to pay for the ride, using a digital transfer from the defendant to cover the initial trip.
The driver played a critical role in helping authorities trace the victim's final hours after recognizing her photograph in a missing person publication shared by her relatives. Family members conducted their own searches and alerted law enforcement, maintaining a proactive approach throughout the initial stages of the disappearance.
While the initial charges focus on the sole detained suspect, the victim's family has publicly expressed their conviction that other individuals were involved in the crime. Blanca, the victim's mother, asserted that justice would not be fully served until everyone present on the day of the incident is held accountable.
Prosecutor Bertolotti acknowledged that prosecutors are not ruling out the involvement of third parties as the investigation continues. Authorities are awaiting the final autopsy report and analyzing ongoing evidence to determine whether additional criminal responsibilities exist in the case.