Parents of 11-year-old Iñaki Bohn Rioboo from Berazategui, Buenos Aires, waited 8 years and 10 months for the trial of those responsible for their son's death.

On 22/12, the court sentenced an electrician to 4 years in prison and the neighborhood leader to 4 years and 6 months for manslaughter. They will serve their sentences under house arrest, monitored by electronic ankle tags, with police conducting at least three weekly surprise checks to ensure they are home.

The two defendants (in white and yellow shirts) during the trial on 22/12. *Photo: Clarin*

In an earlier trial, two other individuals, an architect and a city electrician, received one-year suspended sentences and a 5-year professional ban for the same charge.

The indictment stated that on 22/2/2017, Iñaki died tragically after leaving the neighborhood's communal swimming pool, accidentally touching a lamppost, and being electrocuted.

A doctor-neighbor attempted to resuscitate the boy, and an ambulance was dispatched, but all efforts were unsuccessful.

An electrician measuring the lamppost's voltage with a meter found it emitting 220V of electricity.

During the trial, prosecutors demonstrated that the lamppost lacked a grounding rod and protective conductor. Furthermore, the internal cables were bare and unprotected. Worse, they were connected with electrical tape, a dangerous method prohibited for lampposts. All other streetlights were in a similar condition.

The prosecution asserted that the boy's death resulted from a faulty electrical system that failed to meet safety standards. The utilities in this gated community violated all basic safety regulations. Iñaki unluckily touched one lamppost; the victim could have been any other child or neighbor.

The court concluded that deficiencies and negligence in maintaining and controlling the electrical system were decisive factors leading to the fatal outcome. The defendants, directly responsible for designing, maintaining, and operating public spaces, received payment for their duties but ignored known dangers, thus facing trial.

The victim's family announced their intention to appeal, demanding incarceration for the two individuals, arguing that house arrest does not match the severity of their actions and the consequences.

By Hai Thu (According to Clarin, La Mission Informa, Infosur Diario)