Overview
- Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday before Juvenile Responsibility Court No. 1 in La Plata, the closed-door proceeding reflecting that the accused was a minor at the time, and reporting indicates a verdict could follow before month’s end.
- The defendant, now 18, is tried for homicide during robbery under Argentina’s juvenile regime, which provides for reduced penalties compared with adult sentencing.
- Key evidence includes camera reconstructions of the flight, multiple eyewitness accounts, and the seizure of a short bearing Diego Maradona’s image that matches security footage; the victim’s mother testified about the assault and identification.
- The defense argues the youth lacked awareness that Kim was trapped by the seatbelt and contends there was no intent to kill, a theory it plans to emphasize in closing arguments.
- A second adolescent, 14 at the time, is considered non-punishable and remains in a maximum-security juvenile institute under a two-year interdisciplinary program, as the case continues to fuel debate on lowering the age of criminal responsibility.