Otoño Uriarte was 16 years old.
A new court decision has brought renewed attention to the Otoño Uriarte case, involving the teenager who disappeared in Fernández Oro, Río Negro, in October 2006 and was found dead months later. In recent days, the provincial appellate court rejected the challenges filed against the acquittal and left in place the ruling that cleared four defendants.
The case remains one of the region’s most sensitive due to the time elapsed, its public impact, and long-running disputes over how the investigation was conducted and how key evidence was assessed.
WHY THE ACQUITTALS WERE UPHELD
The court reaffirmed the acquittals after another judicial review of the evidentiary assessment. In broad terms, the judges held that the appeals were not sufficient to overturn the acquittals and that the material in the file did not meet the standard required to sustain convictions.
The ruling has again fueled debate on two fronts: the demand for answers in a high-impact case, and the requirement that criminal convictions rest on evidence that is solid, consistent, and capable of withstanding review.
Otoño Uriarte case: conviction overturned and all four defendants acquitted.
THE FAMILY SAYS IT WILL KEEP APPEALING
After the decision, the victim’s family and its representatives said they plan to pursue further legal remedies before higher provincial courts. They also renewed calls to broaden investigative lines and re-examine parts of the case they believe were not fully clarified.
Nearly two decades after the original events, the file has gone through multiple stages and conflicting decisions. Attention now shifts to whether higher courts will intervene and whether the investigation can be redirected through additional measures, or whether the case will remain closed as to the acquitted defendants.
