In the district of Jiquilisco, corresponding to the department of Usulután Oeste, the Salvadoran justice sentenced Wendy Saraí G. and Víctor Geovanny M., who received a sentence of 43 years in prison each for the aggravated homicide of a child of just two years old.
Through a publication on social media, the Attorney General’s Office of El Salvador (FGR) reported that the convicted, mother and stepfather of the victim, were found guilty after a judicial process that revealed a pattern of systematic violence in the family environment.
According to information released by the
FGR, the investigation established that both individuals were inflicting
physical abuse on the minor in their usual residence.
The case took a decisive turn in May 2024, when
Melgar suffocated the child. Subsequently, the couple took the child to a local hospital under the pretense of a supposed epileptic seizure.
Medical staff, upon detecting evident signs of violence, activated the suspicious death protocol and alerted the relevant authorities. Wendy Saraí G. and Víctor Geovanny M. were sentenced to 43 years in prison for the homicide of a two-year-old child in Jiquilisco. (Courtesy: Attorney General’s Office of El Salvador)
Following notification from the hospital, the authorities proceeded to the capture of those involved, who were placed at the disposal of the court to answer for the homicide of the minor.
Failure to render assistance and complicity: the mother’s role in the minor’s homicide
The hospital doctors notified the authorities upon observing injuries incompatible with an accident or a spontaneous medical condition on the baby’s part. This measure allowed for the initiation of a thorough investigation that included forensic tests, testimonies from neighbors, and previous medical records, which evidenced a history of violence.
The
Salvadoran Prosecutor’s Office maintained during the trial that the mother,
Wendy, did not intervene to stop the attack, despite being present at the time of the events. This omission was decisive for the configuration of the crime and the magnitude of the sentence imposed.
According to the information published by the
FGR, the mother’s actions were evaluated as direct complicity in the homicide, which led the court to impose the same sentence as her partner.
The
Usulután Sentencing Court was in charge of issuing the ruling, after analyzing the evidence presented by the
Prosecutor’s Office. “The evidence collected allowed to demonstrate the criminal responsibility of both defendants in the death of the minor,” reads the post. The case generated commotion in the local community and revived the debate on the protection of children’s rights in
El Salvador. The case was clarified after the activation of the suspicious death protocol in the hospital where the minor was admitted. (Courtesy: Bebés y más)
The drama experienced by the victim and the forcefulness of the judicial response have once again put the need to strengthen mechanisms for the prevention and detection of abuse in the home at the center of the debate.
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The
FGR reiterated its commitment to investigate all cases of violence against minors.
The court file was closed after the ruling of the
Usulután Sentencing Court.
Salvadoran society is closely watching the development of this and other similar cases, while the demand for justice and effective protection for children persists.
