Former Argentine First Lady Fabiola Yáñez has filed a formal complaint against ex-President Alberto Fernández, accusing him of gender-based violence, including physical abuse, psychological harassment, and reproductive coercion. The allegations, which Yáñez claims began in 2016, have sent shockwaves through Argentina’s political landscape.In a 20-page written statement submitted to the Argentine Justice system, Yáñez detailed a pattern of abuse that allegedly persisted throughout their relationship. She accused Fernández of pressuring her into having an abortion in 2016, describing it as ‘reproductive violence’. Yáñez stated, ‘He told me, ‘I cannot tell anyone that I will have a child with you so soon,’ when I was pregnant in 2016′.Yáñez also reported instances of physical violence, claiming that Fernández would ‘hit her daily’. She described the abuse as a ‘habituality’ that left her with ‘indubitable psychological consequences’. The complaint includes charges of severe injuries, abuse of authority, and coercive threats.In response to these allegations, Fernández has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He stated, ‘The truth of the facts is another; only I will say that it is false and that it never occurred as they now accuse me’. Fernández claimed that marks on Yáñez’s face, shown in photographs, were the result of a reaction to a cosmetic treatment, not physical abuse.The case has prompted swift action from the Argentine justice system. A federal judge has prohibited Fernández from leaving Argentina and ordered him not to approach or contact Yáñez. The authorities have also seized Fernández’s phones and other electronic devices as part of the ongoing investigation.Yáñez is scheduled to testify remotely from Madrid on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, before prosecutor Ramiro González. This testimony is expected to provide further details on the alleged abuse and may lead to additional investigation.The case has sparked a national conversation about gender-based violence in Argentina, with Fernández becoming the first Argentine president to be formally accused of such crimes. As the investigation unfolds, both the political and social implications of these allegations continue to reverberate throughout the country.
Key points
- Fabiola Yáñez has filed a formal complaint against ex-President Alberto Fernández for gender-based violence.
- Yáñez alleges physical abuse, psychological harassment, and reproductive coercion dating back to 2016.
- Fernández denies all allegations, claiming visible injuries were due to cosmetic treatments.
- The Argentine justice system has taken swift action, seizing Fernández’s electronic devices and imposing travel restrictions.
Contradictions👾While Yáñez claims consistent physical abuse, Fernández denies all allegations and attributes visible injuries to cosmetic treatments.
👾There are differing accounts of when the alleged forced abortion occurred, with some sources citing 2016 and others mentioning January 2021.
