Double Sentencing for Man Who Set Ex-Partner’s House on Fire in El Bosque: Victims Included Mother and Daughter

Original article: Doble condena para sujeto que incendió casa de su expareja en El Bosque: Mujer murió en el siniestro junto a su hija

The Sixth Oral Criminal Court in Santiago has sentenced a 49-year-old man to 15 years and one day in prison for intimate femicide, and an additional 15 years and one day for arson resulting in death. This sentencing stems from an incident in 2022 in which he set fire to the home of his ex-partner, leading to the tragic deaths of both the woman and her daughter.

Prosecutor Mariela Acoria, from the specialized Gender, VIF, and Sexual Crimes unit of the Metro South Public Prosecutor’s Office, successfully secured the dual convictions against the accused, who had prior criminal records, for the events that occurred on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in the municipality of El Bosque.

On that fateful morning, the prosecutor indicated, the individual «went to the residence of his former partner, where she lived with her daughter, and with full knowledge that both women were inside, proceeded to set the house on fire, which was completely consumed, also affecting nearby residences.»

«As a result of the above, both victims perished at the scene,» the prosecutor’s report notes. The woman was 50 years old, and her daughter was 21. When arrested by the police, the convicted man claimed he could not remember the incident due to his intoxicated state at the time.

However, witness statements from neighbors confirmed that the man had been «causing a commotion» outside the house that day, allegedly because he was not allowed inside, screaming that he would set it on fire. Subsequent investigations conducted by firefighters uncovered traces of accelerant at the residence.

El Ciudadano / Cover Photo: Screenshot from Canal 13 news, July 2022