The murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta was one of the most striking cases of the summer in the Spanish press. Daniel Sancho, son of actors Rodolfo Sancho and Silvia Bronchalo, turned himself in at a Thai police station after confessing to the crime, claiming that he had first killed him and then dismembered him. Since August, the accused has remained locked up in the Koh Samui prison, waiting to begin the trial this coming Monday.
A hearing that will feature the accused's family appearing in the case. This has been made known by his lawyers, who have called a press conference in Madrid this Friday morning. The defense team will be made up of Juan Antonio García Jabaloy, Juan Gonzalo Ospina and Beatriz Uriarte, who will coordinate with the Colombian Adriana Behaine and the Thai firm Juslaws Consult, formed by Yuthana Promsin and Julien Iwanicki Govrich.
“Finding legal representation in Thailand is difficult. It was a priority to find a trusted voice to defend Mr. Arrieta's rights with all guarantees. The systems are different, there are economic difficulties, problems with the legalization of powers so that they could assist us...”, explained Ospina as spokesperson for the group. In this way, the six lawyers will be able to cover the needs of the family before the procedure that begins in three days.
With the appearance of the family, the lawyers will be able to access the summary and be present in the oral proceedings, where Sancho could recognize the facts. If that were to happen, Thai justice could reduce the death penalty on his shoulders, turning it into a life sentence or long-term confinement in prison. If this were not the case, a judicial procedure would be opened that would culminate in March 2024.
Once there, questions could be proposed to the court and the participation of Arrieta's parents as witnesses, in this case by videoconference given the advanced age of both parents. “They don't want revenge but for the full weight of the law to fall,” said Ospina, who also stressed the lack of empathy on the part of Sancho and his family. They indicate that there has been no type of forgiveness and they see difficulties in accepting that he finished serving his sentence in Spain.
“It has been a very sad and hard loss for a humble and hard-working family that has been overwhelmed by everything that this procedure has entailed,” commented the spokesperson. “The family is very emotionally affected, both Edwin's parents, his brothers and his son, and for them it is important that the case does not go unpunished and that they can soon repatriate his remains to give them a Christian burial,” said Adriana Behaine from Colombia.
