Family install camera to catch relative abusing 12-year-old girl
Chilling footage show the moment a 12-year-old girl points out a newly installed CCTV to a relative accused of molesting her.
The man was filmed as he entered the girl's bedroom in the family home in Buenos Aires, Argentina and allegedly assaulted her shortly before she tells him he is on camera.
The footage shows the relative stare straight into the camera as the girl tells him he’s been framed.
According to local media, the family were suspicious that their daughter was being sexually assaulted by the relative after seeing a WhatsApp message from her in August 2018 that was sent to a school friend.
But they were unsure whether the message – shown to them by the friend’s mum and which spoke about the relative touching her private parts – was true or not.
The girl was reportedly referring to Leandro Sebastian Martinez, 41, who is the husband of one of the father's cousins who is very close to the family.
They decided to discuss the case with the school psychologists but did not take legal action against the suspect as Sebastian Martinez's wife was going through a pregnancy at the time and they were not sure if the daughter was serious in her note.
But they did decide to install a CCTV camera in their home, including in the child's bedroom, in a bid to keep an eye on her.
It was these video recordings that were then used to prove that the relative was trying to abuse her. It was later revealed the girl had even invited the relative into the home on the pretext of showing him some renovation work, aware that he might attempt to try and assault her again.
“There was a family reunion in my parents’ house next to ours,” the girl’s father Pablo told local media.
He said the girl had insisted on showing Leandro some improvements in the house and added she had wanted to take the risk because she could not put up with what was going on any longer.
When he then allegedly assaulted her, she reportedly told him: “Did you notice that my parents installed security cameras?”
After this, the man reportedly grabbed the girl around her neck. He then went on the run.
“When we saw that the videos proved what our daughter told us was true, we went crazy,” Pablo said.
The girl’s mother, Patricia, said her daughter was a flower girl at his wedding.
“We look after our children but our worst enemy was there half a metre from us,” she said.
Reports said that local authorities have issued an arrest warrant although the suspect has not been located yet.
“When the police broke into his house supposedly Leandro and his wife had gone on holiday to Mar del Plat, but they left the back door unlocked. Who goes on holidays and does that?” Pablo said.
“They had been warned about the arrest, obviously.”
The investigation is still ongoing.
- Australscope
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