Renato Ibarra Charged With Attempted Femicide
Sunday morning was the very first control proceeding in the case against Renato Ibarra, an Ecuadorian Club America player, for the alleged abuse towards his wife, Lucely Estefanía Chalá.
The trial was expected to take place at 9 a.m. in Room 1 of the Courts adjacent to the North Prison; instead, it was postponed until 9:45 a.m., as the prosecutor was at another court proceeding.
The initial trial lasted about three hours, and it was offered by Judge Esperanza Medrano Ortiz, a judge who is an expert on gender issues.
Once Ibarra arrived at the trial, the judge began to read the charges that were being filed against him, which included domestic abuse and attempted femicide. The story was revealed by various media outlets covering the court's trail within the first few minutes.
When the case was brought to the court, Judge Esperanza Medrano Ortiz had claimed that both the player and other individuals who were involved, were charged with "family violence and femicide attempts" against Ibarra's wife, who happens to be pregnant.
In his house, in the Mexican capital, the said athlete and several other people allegedly assaulted his pregnant wife as well as the wife's sister.
Lucely, Ibarra's wife and the victim of the trial is under medical care due to her pregnancy. She was not present in the trial because of her current condition. The Club America player therefore asked for a representative of the consulate of their country, however he received no response.
During the introduction of the court, at the behest of their client, the attorneys of Renato Ibarra, Julio Delgado Lara, Ignacio Martínez Zepeda and Paloma Taracena had asked that perhaps the proceedings be held in private since their personal information could be ventilated as he was a public figure, a request granted by the Median Judge.
The defendant, in effect, demanded the involvement of Ecuador's embassy, without there having been a response so far.
It is important to note that Renato Ibarra was moved to the North Reclusorio last Saturday afternoon and spent the evening in the jail apart from all the other defendants. Alexandra Ibarra Mina, Bairon Ibarra Mina, Marlon Aguas Alencastro and Tania Aguas Alencastro, Renato Ibarra's relatives, who are all expected to testify.
Along with his other relatives, Ibarra was said to have been locked up for yet another 144 hours and will be relocated to the Eastern Prison to gather more information, combined with the severity of the crime they are convicted of: "family violence and attempted femicide."
Following the second trial, a new one is sought and if an agreement is not reached in any situation, it may take up to three months to schedule it, where they would know if there is a compromise or it would be connected to the procedure.
In the meantime, several media sources are reporting a possibility that Ibarra and his wife Lucely Chala will finally come to an agreement and drop all the charges.