For this Wednesday, March 12, it was scheduled in Zacapa The intermediate stage audience for María Fernanda Bonilla, pointed out of the death of Melissa Palacios.
Judge Juan José Regalado Rivas would resolve whether or not the one was going to trial, but in the end the hearing was suspended by a challenge.
Melissa Palacios disappeared on July 4, 2021 in San Jorge, Zacapa, and a day later his body appeared with multiple blows to the head.
In his argument, the judge indicated that in some documents of a page that demands justice in the case, it was indicated that “the judges of this court are clinging with nails and teeth to which the hearing is celebrated. That we have stubbornness to carry out the intermediate audience. ”
He added: “We have no stubbornness to bring the intermediate hearing, we are only fulfilling our function, and if we do not fulfill our function because the other party or the one that feels aggrieved can file a complaint against the judges for the denial of justice, for malicious delay, for breach of duties.”
He then said: “More than three years trying to carry out the intermediate hearing, it has not been because of this court that this case has not been carried out, but it has been the Public Ministry, it has been the complainant who has requested the suspension of hearings.”
He affirmed that the court on no occasion ex officio has rescheduled a hearing and have always held them.
He said he cannot accept a cause that is not true, although he indicated to a room that agreed to remove him.
He stressed that his interest as a judge is that the case progresses and with the suspension of the hearing they are in Limbo, because it is not known what will happen.
“The Public Ministry did not appeal the reform of the processing order made by the judge of Zacapa, that implies that the Public Ministry was in accordance with that qualification,” he added.
According to Rivas, “the Public Ministry did not make use of its power to accuse alternatively, then now wanting to straighten the issues, they intend to do the judges badly.”
He said that the investigating entity is unique and indivisible and that the prosecutor acted in “the name of the institution” and agreed with the legal qualification and the accusation raised.
He subsequently said: “In principle I do not accept the cause because I have no interest.”
Outside the court an armed group threatened the people who stated to request justice in the case, according to affected assumptions.
The case arose with an alert Isabel – Claudina filed by relatives of the 21 -year -old girl, as Palacios left her home and did not return.
The young woman’s body was found a day later by lifeguards and security forces. According to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, the young woman died from blows to the head and ruled out sexual assault.
Victim Institute is pronounced
The victim’s institute indicated that at the previous hearing the defense of Bonilla retracted from the procedure for accepting charges, so, by law, the judge in charge could not continue to know the case.
He explains that the challenge was raised and was partially accepted.
“The judge granted the challenge without suspensive effect, which means, that another judge of that same court could carry out the hearing in the next few days and know the request for the defense that seeks that the defendants leave prison,” added the victim’s institute.
He #Avictima Institute Consider that it is not appropriate that a judge of that court continues to know. Currently, the criminal process against the defendants María Fernanda Bonilla Archila and José Luis Marroquín Ovalle is elucidated in the Court of 📍chiquimula. pic.twitter.com/yka3GVKCMF
– Victim Institute (@idv_gt) March 12, 2025