A legal scandal has unfolded in the Argentine province of Neuquén, revolving around domestic violence and child custody rights. The case began on August 20th when Judge Luciano Speroni ordered an unprecedented police operation at Kindergarten No. 65. Armed police entered to take M., the five-year-old son of government official Claude Staicos, from his mother, Alexandra Sabio. During the operation, the mother was reportedly beaten and handcuffed. Staicos, the Press Secretary for Governor Rolando Figueroa, had accused the mother and her family of domestic violence, securing an emergency panic button that he never used. The mother's lawyers claim Staicos systematically manipulated the legal proceedings to restrict her access to their son. They allege he hired a therapeutic companion without a court order, isolating the child from his familiar environment and preventing him from speaking freely. Currently, the Court of Appeals must decide whether to follow the recommendation of the Child Defender, who insists on the immediate need to hear the boy and conduct a comprehensive health evaluation. The case has sparked significant public outcry and led to protests with the slogan 'Police in schools—never again'.
