Q COSTARICA — A man named Hernández Le Maitre was sentenced to 48 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple sexual offenses against three girls, who were just one, three, and seven years old when the abuse began.
The sentence was handed down by the Heredia Criminal Court after the San Joaquín de Flores Prosecutor’s Office successfully proved the defendant’s guilt in the crimes of sexual abuse, rape, production of child sexual abuse material, and distribution of such material.
According to the indictment presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the crimes occurred between 2012 and 2016 in the community of La Ribera de Belén, in the province of Heredia.
During that period, Hernández was in a relationship with the girls’ aunt and lived with her in the house where the victims frequently stayed.
According to the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial, the convicted man took advantage of the family relationship and the trust the girls placed in him to repeatedly commit sexual offenses.
While the sentence becomes final, Hernández Le Maitre will remain in pretrial detention, as ordered by the Heredia Criminal Court.
The sentence imposed represents one of the highest penalties recently handed down for sexual offenses committed against minors and reflects the seriousness of the conduct proven during the trial, as well as the commitment of the judicial authorities to punish this type of act in accordance with current legislation.
Judicial authorities remind the public that these types of crimes often occur in environments close to the victims, where perpetrators take advantage of trust or family ties to facilitate the assaults and avoid detection for extended periods.