Original article: “La verdad jurídica quedó establecida: Claudio Crespo me disparó y me dejó ciego”: Gatica responde a Kast por celebrar la absolución del autor del disparo
Deputy Gustavo Gatica stated that despite the Appeals Court of Santiago confirming the acquittal of former Carabinero Claudio Crespo, it has been proven that his shots hit him in 2019, resulting in the loss of vision.
«The legal truth has been established: Claudio Crespo shot me and left me blind,» he asserted, responding to President José Antonio Kast, who celebrated the acquittal of the former officer.
Gatica criticized that «this truth did not have a proportional consequence,» as the ruling issued last January by the Fourth Criminal Court in Santiago remained firm after the Court rejected the nullity appeal that sought to annul the trial and order a new one.
The ruling confirmed by the appellate court reflects a legal paradox, since while the judges concluded that Crespo was the sole author of the pellets that struck Gatica’s face on November 8, 2019, at the intersection of Vicuña Mackenna and Carabineros de Chile; the Naín-Retamal Law was retroactively invoked and it was determined that the then lieutenant colonel acted in legitimate self-defense, a concept that -it should be noted- was modified by this new legal norm.
Moreover, the judges concluded that Crespo used the riot shotgun in accordance with institutional regulations and in a proportionate response to the attacks faced by his unit that day.
«The acquittal does not erase the truth or the established responsibility»
«Today, some attempt to claim that Claudio Crespo is innocent. He is not. The courts established who was responsible for the injuries that changed my life forever. The acquittal does not erase the truth or the responsibility established during the process,» Gatica stated in a message shared on his social media, accompanying a video of a press point he held outside Congress.
Before the journalists, the deputy for district 8 indicated that «when one undertakes legal action, two concepts take precedence; truth and justice» and that although this case seemed complex in finding the truth due to many circumstances, among which he mentioned «the multiple lies of Claudio Crespo, who at first even said he was not at the scene, later blamed other officers, and then claimed that his weapon was defective,» the facts were finally clarified, and his responsibility was proven.
«With all this, the truth was ultimately found, thanks to the Police Investigation (PDI) and the prosecution, which did a remarkable job uncovering the truth of this case,» he highlighted.
The psychologist noted that after it was established that Claudio Crespo was the one who shot him and left him blind, «it seemed that justice would be merely a consequence of this truth, but it was not.»
«There is a contradiction that is hard to understand. I have said this is a case that transcends me; it is about democracy, it is about the future, the society we want to build, and all the reasons that led to there being no justice today. We must undoubtedly analyze them, and we are on that path,» he asserted.
In light of this situation, the deputy confirmed that together with his legal team, he will continue seeking justice in Chile and, if necessary, in international forums,» because this case transcends my personal story. It is about defending the truth, justice, and a democracy where no one is above the law».
«We are in talks with lawyers, with expert female attorneys in those areas and we will pursue that path which now appears distant on the horizon, and which sometimes seems dark, but we will continue on that journey,» he emphasized.
Gatica: «Kast once again shows he is unfit for his position»
Gatica was asked by journalists about the statement made by President José Antonio Kast celebrating the ruling in which the Appeals Court of Santiago confirmed the acquittal of former Carabinero Claudio Crespo.
«After years of allegations, he has been exonerated of all charges and it is confirmed that he acted in legitimate self-defense,» stated the president on his social media.
In the deputy’s opinion, with these statements, Kast «again demonstrates he is unfit for his position».
«He forgets that he governs for all Chileans, including me. There is nothing to celebrate. It may seem that he once again returns as that entrenched far-right activist, trying to distinguish between friends and enemies between the good and the bad. Again forgetting that he is the president who governs for everyone in this country,» he noted.
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