Argentina: Judges in Sex Slave Trial Hit by Hackers

Argentine hackers infiltrated the personal information oof a grop of juges involved in a controversial verdict related to sex slavery.

The hackers, who claimed to have been allied with the Argentine arm of the Anonymous collective, released a statement on Wednesday with personal data belonging to magistrates Alberto Piedrabuena, Emilio Herrera Molina and Eduardo Romero Lascano.

Among the information released by the hackers were the judges’ addresses, cell phone numbers and bank account statuses.

“One by one they will fall.  We are Anonymous and we never forget.  We want a country free of corruption,” said the statement from the hackers.

On Tuesday, the court in the city of Tucumán absolved thirteen defendants accused of kidnapping and forcing into prostitution Maria de los Angeles “Marita” Veron. 

Over 130 witnesses were called to trial including a dozen women rescued from brothels by Marita’s mother, Susana Trimarco.  But the judges claimed there was no evidence linking the defendants to Marita, who has been missing for over a decade.

The court’s decision has not sat well with the Argentine public including several hundred people who participated in peaceful protests in several major cities.   In Buenos Aires demonstrators clashed with police and caused damages to the Casa de Tucumán.

The Argentine government joined the chorus of critiques against the court’s decision.  President Cristina Fernandez personally called Trimarco to express her ire with the verdict and called for a “democratization” of the judicial system.

Trimarco, who started a foundation in 2007 to combat human trafficking, was calm when the verdict was read.  Outside of the courtroom, however, she did not mince words:

“They are corrupt and shameless,” she said referring to the judges…”Victims of human trafficking sat in there (in the courtroom).  How can (the justices) claim that there was no proof?”

Although the verdict was unexpected Trimarco was not fazed nor did she faint as the ruling was read.  ”I’ve run out of tears…We have to keep uncovering this pot, this must end.” 

“They can kill me if they must but I will not be silenced,” she dared.

Roughly 48 hours before the controversial verdict was read, Trimarco received a human rights award from President Fernandez.  Her crusade, which has lead to hundreds of women rescued from Argentine prostitution rings, has also been acknowledged with a "Women of Courage" award by the U.S. State Department and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination last month.

Video Source– YouTube via C5N

Online Sources – Infonews, BBC News, La Nacion, Clarin, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post