|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: Empresario chileno detenido por racismo y homofobia seguirá en prisión: tribunal rechaza traslado a clínica psiquiátrica

Chilean Businessman Arrested for Racism and Homophobia Remains in Custody: Court Denies Transfer to Psychiatric Facility

The Chilean businessman Germán Andrés Naranjo Maldini, detained in Brazil, following a violent incident involving racist and homophobic insults aboard a Latam airline flight, will remain in custody after a South American court rejected his request for transfer to a psychiatric facility.

The executive’s defense argued that he suffered a psychotic episode during the Latam flight to Frankfurt, Germany, which they claimed justified the need for specialized medical care outside of prison.

The incident leading to his arrest, which was recorded in videos widely circulated on social media and news outlets, occurred on the airplane when Naranjo Maldini directed xenophobic, homophobic, and racist insults towards at least one crew member.

Videos captured the executive making statements such as “black, monkey, I don’t know you” and “For me, it’s a problem being gay; for you, it’s a problem.”

The defense, led by attorney Carlos Kauffmann, maintained that the Chilean is experiencing an acute mental health crisis and that his physical safety is at risk in the current prison environment. To support their request, they presented medical records from a psychiatric hospitalization that occurred in 2013, along with statements from his treating psychiatrist.

However, the court found insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the businessman required immediate clinical attention in a specialized center.

“The judge stated that there’s no conclusive proof he needs treatment,” Kauffmann explained in comments reported by Cooperativa, announcing plans to pursue new evaluations to verify his client’s health status.

Naranjo Maldini is currently housed in a temporary detention center with an official capacity of 840 inmates but is holding nearly 1,200 individuals, mostly foreigners facing various charges. Among the inmate population are several Chileans. The defense described the facility’s conditions as hazardous to the accused’s emotional stability, but the Brazilian court did not accept this as a valid reason for transferring him to a clinic.

The businessman faces a potential sentence of two to five years in prison for charges of racial defamation, which, as of 2023, have become non-billable and without bail rights in Brazil.

Following the court’s decision, the businessman’s legal team submitted a habeas corpus petition to the Brasilia Court of Appeals, aiming to secure at least his admission to a clinic while investigations and the potential trial unfold. “We are awaiting a response,” Kauffmann stated.

It is worth noting that in Chile, the executive is also facing a lawsuit for bribery or active bribery of a public official and has been linked to at least three instances of uncontrolled behavior involving police intervention.

For now, Germán Naranjo Maldini will remain detained at Guarulhos prison, awaiting a resolution from federal justice regarding the case.

La entrada Chilean Businessman Arrested for Racism and Homophobia Remains in Custody: Court Denies Transfer to Psychiatric Facility se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.