02/07/2026 03:27 - Judiciales
Melisa Heredia, the mother of Agostina Madeleine Vega, a 14-year-old girl who was a victim of femicide in Córdoba, Argentina, broke her silence in an exclusive interview with La Voz on July 1, 2026. Her statement comes 38 days after the horrific crime and after being accepted as a plaintiff (querellante) by prosecutor Raúl Garzón.
In Argentina, a plaintiff (querellante) is a person who joins the prosecution in a criminal case, usually the victim or their family, allowing them to participate actively in the investigation and present evidence.
Femicide (femicidio) is the killing of a woman or girl primarily because of her gender. In Argentina, this crime has specific legal aggravating circumstances and carries severe penalties. The country has been fighting a long battle against gender-based violence, with massive protests like Ni Una Menos (Not One Less) demanding justice and protection for women.
The woman expressed her fear and denounced that there are accomplices. They are loose. I am afraid to go out on the street. According to her account, people from the murderer's circle remain free and could seek to favor impunity in the investigation.
She explained that during these 38 days she understood that they had set a trap for her and her daughter to gain time and achieve impunity. She said she trusted some of those people and thought they were friends.
Prosecutor Raúl Garzón ordered preventive detention (prisión preventiva) for Claudio Barrelier, the former municipal employee accused of sexual abuse and homicide triply aggravated by treachery, criminis causae (to cover up another crime), and gender-based violence (femicide).
| Person | Legal Status | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Claudio Barrelier | Preventive Detention | Sexual abuse, aggravated homicide (femicide) |
| Osvaldo Fassetta | Preventive Detention | Aggravated concealment |
| Soledad Andreani | Preventive Detention | Aggravated concealment |
| Marianela Palmero (Barrelier's wife) | Not yet questioned | Accused of aggravated concealment |
Preventive detention in Argentina is a provisional measure that keeps an accused person in jail during the investigation and trial, used when there's risk of flight or obstruction of justice.
Barrelier had already been reported in May 2025 for a similar crime against another girl, but he was released after paying bail with a lawyer. They released him in May 2025 when he did the same thing to another girl. He had a lawyer who paid his bail. The media attacked me, the mother denounced.
She also criticized the action of the Judicial Unit: They saw me crying, desperate, saying that my 14-year-old daughter had not appeared, and no one acted with the urgency that was required.
Agostina practiced federated artistic skating and was organizing her quinceañera (15th birthday party) with sacrifice for July. A quinceañera is a traditional Latin American celebration marking a girl's 15th birthday, a significant milestone in Hispanic culture. A friend had lent us the dress she liked.
A mother's pain: There are days when I do not even have the strength to get out of bed. If I go on, it is only because I have another eight-year-old son who needs me.
The mother revealed she was publicly attacked: They invented a life I never had. They said I gave up my daughter, that I was linked to mafias and a lot of things that are completely false.
Her lawyer, Carlos Nayi, emphasized that now that she is a plaintiff, it is known that Melisa is a victim. Those who publicly attacked her must reflect.
With determination, Melisa concluded: I hope they do justice for my daughter and never let the responsible ones out again. I always said it: let all those who have to fall, fall.
Source: Information based on the exclusive interview published by La Voz on July 1, 2026. The investigation is ongoing under Prosecutor Raúl Garzón. Defense lawyers are expected to appeal the preventive detentions.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
