Argentina: New Evidence in Sex Abuse Case Against Ex-Head of Human Trafficking Division

On May 23, 2013 La Gaceta reported that District Attorney Diego López Ávila called for the prosecution of Commissioner Héctor Pablo Barrionuevo on charges of sexual abuse following evidence of a telephone conversation between the commissioner and one of his accusers. The case goes back to 2011, when the trafficking division raided a house in Mendoza that had been rented by four women for sexual services. At the time, Pablo Barrionuevo was the chief commissioner and head of the human trafficking division in Tucumán. During the operation, Barrionuevo allegedly propositioned one of the women sexually in exchange for their release. When the woman refused, she and her three companions were arrested. Pablo Barrionuevo was later charged with bribery and aggravated sexual abuse. When confronted with the recordings of the conversation, Pablo Barrionuevo claimed the audio had been edited and flatly denied having made such statements. Read Article