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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Today, Monday, May 18, the trial began for the triple lesbian murder of Pamela Cobbas, Mercedes Roxana Figueroa, and Andrea Amarante, and the attempted murder of the sole survivor, Sofía Castro Riglos, who continues to suffer serious injuries. The proceedings are taking place before the Oral Criminal Court No. 5. The defendant, Fernando Justo Barrientos, was present and chose not to testify. The prosecution and the plaintiffs' arguments considered the context of discrimination motivated by hate based on the victims' sexual orientation, all of whom were lesbians. 

Starting at 9 a.m., organizations and activists gathered in Plaza Lavalle, near the courthouse located at 550 Talcahuano Street in downtown Buenos Aires. The day of action continues throughout the day with an open radio broadcast, performances by artists, readings, and sports activities.

On the night of May 5-6, 2024, Fernando Justo Barrientos entered the family hotel room where the four lesbian women lived and threw an explosive device at them.

The first hearing began this morning before the Oral Criminal Court No. 5. The panel consists of judges Adrián A. Perez Lanc (presiding), Cinthia Raquel Oberlander, and Juan Manuel Grangeat, and is located at Talcahuano 550, City of Buenos Aires. The prosecutor is Juan Manuel Fernández Buzzi. Meanwhile, a lesbian event in support of the trial is taking place in the Plaza in front of the courthouse from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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They are asking for the witness hearings to be broadcast

The first hearing, the arguments, and the verdict can be followed via La Retaguardia. However, the testimonial hearings requested by the Court will not be televised. Attorney Luciana Sánchez, representing Sofía Castro Riglos, requested that this restriction be lifted and that decisions be made on a case-by-case basis in order to provide publicity and coverage of a trial that involved a serious attack on lesbian identities.

Why is there an effort to recognize it as a hate crime?

There are three lawsuits: the one filed by Sofía, represented by Luciana Sánchez; the one filed by the families of Roxana Figueroa and Pamela Cobbas, handled by public defender Pablo Rovatti; and the third, being pursued by a team of lawyers from LGBTQ+ organizations, including the  Argentine LGBT Federation (FALGBT). All three seek recognition that the crime was motivated by the fact that the victims were lesbians. In other words, that it was a hate crime.

“There are elements that emerge from the case file, from neighbor testimonies, and so on, that lead us to conclude that the act committed by this man (Barrientos) was motivated by hate. First, because that is what happened: we have a person who attacked a group of people because of their way of life, their sexual orientation, and their life plans. The second reason is that this crime is not isolated. It is related to a structural and collective problem. The crime not only affects the victims, but the entire LGBT community,” told Presentes .

“The attack wasn’t directed at the hotel or intended to create a common danger, but rather specifically to kill the four women because of their perceived lesbianism,” Luciana Sánchez, from Sofía’s legal team, told this publication. “What motivated him to commit the crime was that they were two lesbian couples.”

“We want real justice for Pamela, Roxana, and Andrea. Reparations for Sofía, the sole survivor and witness to the barbarity. And a trial that names hate,” the Self-Convened Network and Lesbian Organizations.