21/07/2026 09:50 - Judiciales
On July 17, 2026, the National Criminal and Correctional Cassation Chamber of Argentina—a high appellate court—revoked the dismissal of charges against the mayor of La Matanza, Fernando Espinoza. La Matanza is the most populous district in the Buenos Aires province. Espinoza had been accused of alleged sexual abuse, and the court has now ordered that an oral trial proceed as soon as possible. This decision reactivates the case driven by his former private secretary, Melody Rakauskas, who was reinstated in her role as a private complainant (querellante).
The court ruled that it was arbitrary to remove Rakauskas from the process for temporarily lacking a lawyer. The Third Chamber, by a majority with the votes of judges Alberto Huarte Petite and Horacio Días, reversed a resolution from the Oral Criminal and Correctional Tribunal 16. That tribunal had, in February 2026, separated the complainant and dismissed Espinoza due to a procedural technicality.
The complaint dates back to May 10, 2021. Rakauskas, who had been Espinoza's private secretary since late April of that year, accused the mayor of showing up at her apartment with a work excuse and attempting to sexually abuse her. The mayor has consistently denied the facts and maintained his innocence.
On February 11, 2025, the prosecuting attorney Mónica Cuñarro requested a dismissal due to lack of evidence, leaving Rakauskas as the sole accuser. At the end of 2025, the complainant's lawyer resigned on December 17. The tribunal then demanded she appoint a new one within 72 hours, right in the middle of the judicial recess (feria judicial). Due to the lack of an immediate response, they removed her from the complainant role, and since she was the only accusation, the process was closed.
Judge Huarte Petite concluded that the temporary absence of a lawyer does not authorize considering the complainant as having tacitly withdrawn. Judge Pablo Jantus dissented, arguing that Rakauskas had repeatedly failed to meet the deadlines and the removal was lawful.
Melody Rakauskas, speaking to local media on July 21, 2026, valued the ruling as a decisive step forward. Currently represented by lawyer Ignacio Barrios, she stated she faced multiple attempts to stall the case. She recounted that a previous lawyer pressured her to drop the complaint in exchange for an apartment and US dollars, an offer she flatly rejected. A sexual abuse case is not negotiated with money; it is resolved in the Justice system, she affirmed.
Furthermore, she reported suffering physical assaults on December 31 of the previous year and claimed she continues to receive death threats from security force members. Rakauskas requested that precautionary measures be reimposed on the mayor, such as asset freezing and travel restrictions, emphasizing: The only thing I ask for is Justice and that the trial takes place as soon as possible.
Sources: Infobae, MDZol, and Noticias y Protagonistas.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
