Mario Sáenz, considered one of the most talented skaters Mexico has ever had, was sentenced last Friday to 45 years in prison for femicide of his girlfriend, Victoria Salas, in September of 2017.
The skater had been deprived of his liberty for several years, awaiting the resolution of the case. In addition, you will have to pay a fine that exceeds $24,15 dollars for reparation of the damage and compensation for the young woman’s funeral expenses.
However, Sáenz still has the possibility of appealing, as long as he does so within the next five working days from the moment the Court of Judgment ruled the sentence; that is, until Friday 15 in April.
How did the events unfold?
The case dates back to September 2 2017, when the authorities found the lifeless body of Victoria Salas in a hotel in Tlalpan, in Mexico City.
After being accused as the main suspect, Sáenz turned himself in to the authorities of his own free will. In fact, in 2019 he claimed that he had evidence to support him of having been to a different location than the murder. However, the investigations to date indicate this and for this reason he received this sentence.
In this sense, the athlete’s Instagram account, through whom he signs to be the skater’s community manager, shared a message in which they assure that they will continue fighting to prove their innocence:
This is Mario Sáenz, a professional skater who, until five years ago, his goal in life was to name of Mexico high in the Olympics thanks to his passion: skating. Today, Mario Sáenz received an erroneous sentence of 45 years for a crime he did not commit. A State that defends femicides and manufactures guilty parties has sentenced an innocent person with ONLY two FALSE SIGNS; while the real femicide is still free and the femicide of VS goes unpunished. This sentence IS NOT JUSTICE. We will continue fighting for your freedom, Mario!”.
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