Advertisement

Judges reduce paedophile sentence because child victim 'was gay'

Judges reduce paedophile sentence because child victim 'was gay'

Two Argentine judges have come under fire for reducing the sentence of a paedophile in half on the grounds that his child victim ‘was gay’.

The now 11-year-old was described as having a ‘homosexual orientation’.

The judges Horacio Piombo and Benjamín Sal Llargués made the decision to cut the sentence of Mario Tolosa from six years to three, as they felt the victim, who was six at the time, ‘was accustomed to sexual behaviour’ following years of abuse by his father.

“It cannot be considered abuse when a boy is used to being abused in his home and is accustomed to sexual behaviour and has a homosexual orientation,” they reportedly said in their ruling.

The verdict caused outrage across the country.


Justice Piombo defended the decision, saying that before Mr Tolosa molested the boy, the child had already suffered “the initiation by his father into the worst of worlds, leading him to depravation.”

He reportedly added that Mr Tolosa’s actions were not considered ‘gravely outrageous’ because his victim was already making a choice about his sexuality.

Prosecutors at Buenos Aires’ Supreme Court have decided to appeal the verdict.

The independent reported The Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans demanded the judges be removed from the bench, saying the ruling placed the victim "in the position of a suspect".

Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo said the ruling was "an embarrassment".

Morning news break – May 22