El Ciudadano
Original article: UAcademia tras el fallo absolutorio de Claudio Crespo: Es un «profundo fracaso institucional» y una «señal de impunidad»
The Academia de Humanismo Cristiano University issued a strong statement following the acquittal of former Carabineros lieutenant colonel Claudio Crespo, who was responsible for the shots that caused total blindness to then-sociology student and now-elected deputy Gustavo Gatica on November 8, 2019.
The academic institution described the verdict from the Fourth Oral Criminal Court of Santiago as a «deep institutional failure» and a «signal of impunity» that, in their view, not only re-traumatizes the victim and their community but also «harms society by undermining trust in the rule of law.»
On Tuesday, January 13, the court, presided over by Judge Cristina Cabello, delivered its verdict after a session that lasted over two and a half hours.
The judicial decision, which had generated significant anticipation due to its potential precedent in human rights violation cases, was firm: «Claudio Fernando Crespo Guzmán is acquitted of the charge of being the author of unlawful discharges allegedly committed on November 8, 2019,» pronounced the magistrate. This ruling represented a setback for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which had sought a 12-year prison sentence for the former officer.
In its public statement, the university, where Gatica was studying sociology at the time of the assault and graduated in 2022, highlighted the contradiction it perceives in the ruling.
«It is judicially established that elected deputy Gustavo Gatica lost his sight as a result of pellet shots fired by Carabineros officer Claudio Crespo within the framework of the repression against social protests in November 2019,» they stated.
However, the application of Law No. 21.521, known as the Naín-Retamal Law, under the excuse of self-defense, led to a finding of no criminal responsibility for the officer.
For the university, this ruling not only harms the victim and their community again but also represents collective damage.
«This sentence consolidates a scenario of impunity regarding an extremely serious crime,» asserted the institution, adding that various civil society organizations had previously warned that this law could be exploited in such a manner, «without the alarms being heeded by Parliament or the Executive.»
A Collective Harm and a Call to Democracy
The statement emphasizes that the events occurred within a specific and widely documented context: the repression of social protests in 2019, characterized, according to numerous national and international reports, by an «excessive use of force.»
From this perspective, the court’s decision is seen as a crystallization of a structural problem.
Beyond the particular case, the educational institution warned about the consequences for national coexistence.
«Chile cannot normalize impunity in the face of serious human rights violations,» they asserted, while extending a call to reflect on the fundamental pillars of democracy.
The statement concludes with a clear position: «Justice, truth, and guarantees of non-repetition are non-negotiable pillars for a genuine democracy and for rebuilding the legitimacy of institutions.»
Through this statement, the Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano not only expressed solidarity with a former student but also launched a profound criticism of the judicial system and legal framework that, in its opinion, has allowed such a grave incident to go unpunished, sending a concerning message about accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights in Chile.
La entrada UAcademia Criticizes Claudio Crespo Acquittal as a «Deep Institutional Failure» and a «Signal of Impunity» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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