Over a thousand years in prison handed down for attack on the Grollmus estate in Contulmo

[translation]

[translation]

According to the ruling, five of the convicted received sentences of more than 80 years in prison. Among them is Federico Astete Catrileo, identified by the Public Prosecutor's Office as one of the leaders of the Lafkenche Mapuche Resistance (RML).

Another five convicted individuals must serve 65 years in prison, while a third group of five received sentences of 34 years in prison. Meanwhile, three adolescents who participated in the events were subject to the special adolescent criminal responsibility regime: two with confinement in a closed regime and one with supervised release.

The sum of the sanctions reaches 1,055 years, also considering the measures imposed on the adolescents.

An attack with serious consequences

The attack occurred during the afternoon of August 29, 2022. The historic Grollmus mill, located in Contulmo and considered a heritage property in the area, was set on fire, while members of the family and other people were attacked with firearms.

The judicial process established responsibility for crimes that included arson, robbery with violence, attempted qualified homicide, and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.

The attack left four people with serious injuries, among them members of the Grollmus family. One of the victims suffered the amputation of a leg and another lost vision in one eye.

Prosecutor's Office highlights the magnitude of the sentences

After the sentence was announced, the acting prosecutor of Biobío, Michelangelo Bianchi, highlighted the length of the convictions and stated that they are consistent with the seriousness of the crimes, the number of victims, and the circumstances proven during the trial.

The prosecutor explained that the harshest sanctions corresponded to convicted individuals who did not have a previously irreproachable conduct, while other adults received lesser sentences based on their records and the rules applicable to each case.

Regarding a possible dismantling of the RML, Bianchi stated that a sentence by itself does not allow reaching that conclusion. He did emphasize that among the convicted are people identified during the investigation as leaders of the organization and those responsible for the attack under investigation.

The court had previously dismissed the charge of criminal illicit association, acquitting the defendants of that crime, even though the Prosecutor's Office had included it in its presentation.

The sentence marks the close of the main stage of the trial for one of the highest-impact attacks recorded in Arauco province in recent years. The case, however, could still continue in higher instances if any of the parties files the corresponding appeals.