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Judge Mónica Faber sentenced Luis Alberto Martínez to five years in prison on Monday. He was found criminally responsible for the crime of "aggravated serious bodily harm due to cohabitation, a pre-existing relationship, and gender-based violence" against Camila Maza, a trans woman better known by her stage name Camila Spears or "La Trava Madrina" (The Trans Godmother).

The judge, who sits on the Fifth Chamber of the Trial Court in the city of Salta, also revoked the house arrest that Martínez had been under until his trial. He was immediately arrested and transferred to Prison Unit No. 1 in Villa Las Rosas, in the same provincial capital.

The attack took place on February 1, 2023, at the home Martínez shared with Camila. They had a romantic and professional relationship, as he worked as the comedian's manager.

Following the attack, Camila Spears was in a coma for 21 days and was hospitalized for almost two months.

“Don’t be silent, because the truth will always help you.”

Due to the severity of the injuries, Martínez went to trial accused of attempted aggravated homicide due to gender-based violence, but when deciding the sentence, the judge determined that the charge should be serious bodily harm. Furthermore, the judge granted the civil suit and ordered Martínez to pay Camila 3,960,000 pesos plus interest.

Although the sentence fell short of what was requested, Camila Spears and her family expressed satisfaction with the court's decision. "A guilty verdict was achieved, which is what we were seeking," the plaintiff's lawyer, Fidel Ahuerma, told Presentes.

In a Facebook Live broadcast, Camila emphasized that she is alive and can tell what happened . She left a message for others who suffer gender-based violence: “Don’t stay silent, because the truth will always help you.” “Pride and struggle,” added her sister, Jorgelina Maza, who has been with her since the moment of the attack.

The prosecution had requested a 14-year prison sentence for “attempted homicide aggravated by the relationship between the victim and perpetrator and by the presence of gender-based violence.” They had also requested the exact same compensation that the judge awarded. Ahuerma indicated that she will likely appeal the sentence and request the Court of Appeals to increase the penalty.

The criminal prosecutor of the Femicide Unit of Salta, Mónica Poma, had also requested a greater sentence: 12 years.

Attempted transfemicide

The prosecutor emphasized that Camila Maza was consistent in her account of the events, despite the memory loss she suffered as a result of the attack. She also outlined the ongoing trauma she continues to endure, including hearing loss in one ear and post-traumatic stress disorder for which she is still receiving psychological treatment.

In contrast, the prosecutor asserted that Martínez intended to harm her. To demonstrate this, she noted that he waited several minutes after the attack before calling 911.

For his part, Luis Martínez argued that the terrible injuries suffered by his partner were due to a fall from a staircase, and that is what his defenders, lawyers Miguel Nicolás Fernández and Rodrigo Palacios, affirmed when asking for acquittal based on the principle of doubt.

Following the verdict, the plaintiff's lawyer emphasized that the accident theory had been discredited, a sentiment echoed by Camila's sister, Jorgelina Maza, who also celebrated the ruling: “It's not what we wanted, but we feel there's a before and after . We believe it's historic for the community in some way,” she told Presentes.

In the call to accompany the oral trial process that came to an end this Monday, the family and friends of Camila Spears assured that the artist “is alive thanks to the support of her fans and her unwavering strength, but the physical and emotional scars she carries are a reflection of the violence that, once again, strikes the LGBTQ+ community” and demanded “Justice for Camila and all the invisible victims.”