Historic Verdict in Chaco: Guilty Verdict for Cecilia Strzyzowski Femicide

In a historic ruling for the province of Chaco, a popular jury found guilty former political allies of ex-Governor Jorge Capitanich, César Sena and his parents, Emerenciano Sena and Marcela Acuña, for the femicide of Cecilia Strzyzowski, the 28-year-old woman who disappeared in June 2023 in Resistencia. Prosecutors and plaintiffs insisted that the crime occurred in the context of gender-based violence and the economic and emotional control exerted by César over Cecilia, and that her parents intervened to ensure the execution of the plan and the subsequent disappearance of evidence. The case shocked Chacoan politics not only for the brutality of the act but also for the weight the Sena clan had in the provincial power structure. Her parents, social leaders Emerenciano Sena and Marcela Acuña, were considered primary participants in the same crime, as it was proven that they formed and sustained the criminal plan. The verdict, read this Saturday after more than ten hours of deliberation, closes the trial stage and now opens the way for the setting of sentences, which could be life imprisonment for the core of the so-called 'Sena clan'. César Sena was found guilty as the author of the crime of aggravated homicide by kinship and by gender-based violence. The only acquitted person was Griselda Lucía Reinoso, declared 'not guilty' unanimously, so it is expected that she will regain her freedom immediately after being charged for over a year and a half in the case. The trial by jury lasted fourteen hearings, with Judge Dolly Fernández as president of the tribunal and twelve Chacoan citizens in charge of deciding on the guilt or innocence of the accused. The definition of the sentences and the course of the appeals will mark the next stage, but for Cecilia's family and a large part of Chacoan society, the guilty verdict against the Sena clan represents a decisive first step in the long search for truth and justice. The disappearance and presumed femicide of Cecilia put the spotlight on the financing system of her organizations and the use of public resources, in addition to triggering a political crisis that affected the provincial government at the time. Outside the courthouse, the victim's mother, Gloria Romero, was the visible face of the justice demand throughout the process. José Gustavo Obregón and Fabiana Cecilia González were found guilty of aggravated concealment for their role in the attempt to hide the crime and eliminate material traces. After the verdict, the atmosphere was a mix of tears, hugs, and chants of 'Justice for Cecilia', while defense lawyers anticipated they will analyze the grounds for possible appeals to higher courts. With this ruling, Chaco closes one of the most emblematic femicide trials in its recent history and once again highlights the power of the popular jury system for high-impact social cases.