31 days after a subordinate 32-year-old accused him of sexual abuse and rape, Manuel Monsalvethe former Undersecretary of the Interior who caused the biggest crisis so far in the Government of Gabriel Boricit was finally stopped this day by members of the Investigative Police (PDI) in his apartment in Vina del Mar (130 km west of Santiago). Monsalve will now go to detention control and this afternoon It will be formalized in Santiago.
And although the Public Ministry revealed that in this first instance the formalization will focus on the crimes of abuse and completed rape, the former authority could also be charged with violations of the Intelligence Law, after ordering PDI officers check security cameras of the restaurant and the hotel where they had dinner and spent the night, and make “stealthy” errands to contact the victim and find out whether I was thinking of reporting it or not.
Due to the seriousness of the crimes for which he is accused, everything indicates that the Court will decree preventive detention. A few minutes after his arrest, the president Gabriel Boricthrough a publication on his X account, briefly stated: “In Chile no one is above the law.”
Monsalve resigned since The Coin in his charge on October 17, ensuring his innocence. Just a few days ago, he broke his silence and told journalists stationed outside his house that “what I have said from the beginning is that complaints have to be investigated, regardless of who they affect. In this case there is a complaint that affects me, but It has to be investigated the same, regardless of the person’s position or rank, and that is why I have resigned from my position.”
A report from Cyprus revealed that the defenestrated former authority met in at least of opportunities with the victim, for work reasons, after the sexual encounter who had the September 22 at the Panamericano Hotel in Santiago.
In one of those appointments, the complainant clearly told him that everything that happened that night had been without your consent, due to the amount of alcohol ingested at the previous dinner. This conversation would have taken place the first week of October and after that, the young woman asked medical leave and he was absent from La Moneda to this day.
About a week later, the former socialist militant also asked the PDI for “stealth procedures,” aimed at contacting her and finding out if she was thinking of filing a complaint, in addition to reviewing the security cameras of the restaurant and the hotel, matter that cost the head of National Intelligence her job, Cristina Vilches.
“And the first detective who spoke with the victim was a person within the course of these proceedings ordered by the accused. “They approached his apartment,” the prosecutor detailed Xavier Armandáriz in the guarantee precautionary hearing.
According to the aforementioned media, Ricardo Lilloa colleague of the victim and part of his close circle, testified on October 18 ratifying the victim’s testimonywho would have told everything that happened to him and a small group of officials who restrained her, at a lunch. This testimony would destroy Monsalve’s version that suggests that both were drugged.since he said he did not remember anything that happened that night.
Added to this is the second complaint for sexual assault filed by the young woman, which occurred the morning of the next day, since after waking up in the hotel still in “state of shock” and with signs of a huge hangover, Monsalve “He proceeded to give me two pills for my discomfort.” The complainant went back to sleep and when she woke up, she suffered a new attack attempt, which would not go further since the former authority had told her that it seemed that he was “forcing.” Shortly after, the young woman would leave the hotel.
Because of this, and if found guilty, Monsalve risks harsh penalties that could total up to 20 years in prison.
This Wednesday night, the father of the young subaltern gave an interview to the news CHV, in which he maintained that “We decided to come forward in this terrible moment so that this issue is known.”and explained the problems of facing a “powerful” person like Monsalve.
“We are people of flesh and blood who are suffering this horrible nightmare”he said, clearly distressed. “He is guilty of this crime and he has to pay,” closed exhaustively.
