Durango Prosecutor Resigned His Office After Failure to Attend the Rape of a Teenage Girl

Ruth Medina Alemán, who was serving as Durango's prosecutor, resigned after Ivanna Soto, a young woman who was raped last year as a minor, reported that Medina Alemán had not heard her case.

According to local media, Ivanna Soto publicly denounced her attackers, who reportedly drugged her in order to sexually abuse her and to the authorities whom she pointed out of omissions in her case.

“We got to talk to the prosecutor and she promised us that she would help us, which never happened, and my case stayed in the air and nobody took it, nobody took care of it, that's why I'm making this video, I'm sick of it,” said the young woman sharing her testimony on social media on March 9, as part of the Day Women's International and the National Strike “A Day Without Us”.

The teenager assured that due to influentism, her case has not been followed up or held responsible for two young people who raped her. And it is that one of the accused is the son of a politician from Durango.

In her testimony, she indicated that despite having denounced in August last year, she has seen no progress in her case and was also revictimized by officials of the Prosecutor's Office.

Following Ivanna's complaint on social media, the State Congress asked the prosecutor to appear to report progress in investigations of sexual crimes reported in the entity. On Monday, the president of the Governing and Political Coordination Board of the local Congress, Ricardo López Pescador, said that the removal of the prosecutor “does not change our position of being attentive to investigations, of demanding justice and that each case is resolved.”

At the time of her resignation, Ruth Medina said she “regretted” that she had not been more empathetic to women, while assuring that she would not oppose guaranteeing governance in Durango.

“I regret if at some point I could not transmit with empathy and greater sensitivity the closeness with citizens, but I guarantee that there was no pain behind it... what is about avoiding social lynching, or disturbing the social peace, which has cost us so much, and guaranteeing governance in the state of Durango and I will not be a obstacle to this,” he said at a press conference.

For his part, Governor José Aispuro said that “despite the good results” he accepted Ruth Medina's resignation and would propose Daniel Rocha Romo, as the new prosecutor, but it must still be ratified by the plenary of the state Congress. The president said he had accepted Ruth Medina Alemán's resignation, and acknowledged the commitment and professionalism with which he performed.

Rosas Aispuro spoke about the progress in security and the reduction of high-impact crimes that occurred during the Ruth Medina administration.

“I think it's time to listen and see that there are areas of opportunity, especially when it comes to the care of victims of crime, especially when it comes to minors and women,” she said.

The National Association of Democratic Lawyers in Durango has denounced that in Ivanna's case, the State Prosecutor's Office has committed “serious violations” to the detriment of the adolescent, since simply because she was a minor, protocols had to be taken care of at her appearance, which did not happen.

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