Court Acquits Tahira Montero in Baby Death Simulation Case

On December 5, the full arguments of the Chiriqui Trial Court that led to the acquittal of Tahira Montero will be made public. Following a three-day trial in which a series of shocking testimonies were heard, the court of the Chiriqui Accusatory Penal System declared Tahira Montero not guilty. Montero was accused of simulating the birth, death, and funeral of a baby, when in reality, according to the investigation, she placed a doll inside the coffin. This testimony was one of the most impactful of the process. Meanwhile, the complaining family expressed their disappointment with the outcome, after having placed all their hopes in the process for justice to be served. The full reading of the sentence, which will detail the court's motivation for acquitting the accused and lifting the precautionary measures, will take place on December 5. During the trial, the victim, Ducdiel Morales, and his mother recounted the moment they discovered that the coffin did not contain the corpse of their newborn daughter, but a doll conditioned to look like one. The decision was unanimous by the three magistrates, who acquitted the woman of the crimes of simulating a punishable fact and falsifying public documents, despite the evidence presented by the prosecution, which included technical expert examinations of the doll, accessories, and allegedly falsified documents. The prosecution argued that there were no medical records validating a pregnancy or birth at the Santo Tomás Hospital, which contradicted Montero's version, and requested a maximum sentence of 136 months in prison (11 years and 4 months). In previous hearings, 53 pieces of evidence, including expert, testimonial, and documentary, had already been admitted.