A Ministry of the Interior (MININT) officer who sexually abused a four-year-old girl in the municipality of Buey Arriba has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment by the Granma Provincial Court, according to independent media outlet Diario de Cuba (DDC).
Maikel Solano Arévalo received this sentence three months after the Buey Arriba Municipal Court originally handed him only three years of corrective labor without imprisonment, which meant he wouldn't serve time in prison, reports DDC.
Despite the sentence, the victim's family considers the punishment too lenient. "I appealed expecting better results, but it was the opposite. I'm not satisfied because I can't do anything more. I can't keep appealing. But I still think the sentence is very light," Yelenis Pinilla Espinosa, the girl's grandmother, told DDC.
The grandmother, referencing the Cuban Penal Code, expected the maximum penalty for Solano Arévalo. Article 396, section 3, of the Cuban Penal Code stipulates that the penalty for sexual abuse ranges from two to five years.
Delayed Justice and Legal Costs
According to Maylin Fernández Suris, a former Cuban judge and expert in family and gender violence issues, who also serves as a lawyer for DDC, "Justice has arrived late and only because the family was dissatisfied and appealed. The family shouldn't have had to go through an appeal trial, with all its costs, including legal fees."
The grandmother, after denouncing the initial sentence from the Buey Arriba Court, said the accused had access to the girl because he is married to the woman who took care of her. He lives only three blocks away from the child, now five years old, and without the appeal, she would have continued seeing him in the neighborhood.
Pinilla identifies Solano as a State Security agent.
Understanding the Cuban Legal System and Penal Code
To provide more clarity on the case, here are some frequently asked questions regarding the Cuban legal system and penal code.
What is the typical sentence for sexual abuse under the Cuban Penal Code?
According to Article 396, section 3, of the Cuban Penal Code, the penalty for sexual abuse ranges from two to five years.
Why did the family consider the initial sentence too lenient?
The initial sentence was three years of corrective labor without imprisonment, meaning the offender wouldn't serve time in prison. The family found this punishment insufficient given the severity of the crime.
Who is Maylin Fernández Suris?
Maylin Fernández Suris is a former Cuban judge and an expert in family and gender violence issues. She is currently a lawyer for Diario de Cuba (DDC).