Abuses in the Argentine Army: the ordeal suffered by the first soldier who denounced a non-commissioned officer

"He began to harass me in 2016 when I joined the force. After making the corresponding complaints, I suffered mistreatment and a hell of humiliation that led me to depression and a suicide attempt," said the female soldier who denounced a sergeant. from army.

Yésica Velázquez struggles to get ahead.

Without any support, he was encouraged to face a dark structure of abuse and violence to promote the first complaint of sexual harassment in the "Dragones Coronel Zelaya" Regiment, a unit based in the Gualeguaychú Army Barracks, Province of Entre Ríos.

The events lasted for five years and took place in the Gualeguaychú Cavalry Regiment.

The investigation already has two detainees: a non-commissioned officer accused of the assault and persecution against the soldier,

, and the head of the Squad,

, who hid the facts and lied in his statements.

to cover it up.

They arrested the head of the Gualeguaychú Regiment and a non-commissioned officer for a cause of sexual abuse.

"Víctor Mercado was

to prevent the complaints from growing and he was transferred to Campo de Mayo, when the complaints exceeded the limits of the barracks," he said in dialogue with

.

Her voice revealed the ordeal to which she was subjected for five years by her superiors.

She informed what was happening following the internal protocols in what is called: "give the news".

It is about making a complaint, but inside the barracks, Justice does not intervene.

"I felt alone and helpless, everyone was against me. I had 'given the news', but I had not filed a complaint because things are handled that way there. They took a statement from me and within a week I had everyone against

" , described.

Yesica couldn't quit her job because she needed the money.

The only tool available to her was to ask for help.

In a cry for help, she again turned to the authorities, thinking that something would change.

However, far from finding the peace she was looking for, the situation worsened.

She discharged her and then paid the consequences.

The operatives were carried out by the Gendarmerie.

"It was hell, everyone was pointing at me. I would go in and see him standing guard and he

as if to say: 'I can do whatever I want at any time,'" he said.

Judicial complaint

They even told him that if he filed a complaint in court, his partner would be harmed because he is also a non-commissioned officer.

Each step was painful, but on January 20, 2021, he was encouraged to appear before the Courts, beyond the threats and insults he received.

“I was afraid, anguished and sad.

The only thing he did was sleep, he didn't talk to my children or my husband.

He felt that I was to blame.

When I made the complaint, everything was worse, everything became horrible, "she described.

The hell he went through finally led to his resignation: he quit his job, his only source of income.

"I made the decision to leave because I did not want to be ashamed. I was always the liar, the problem, since there was no proof of what I was saying, it was like I became the worst," she lamented.

heal the wounds

Jobless and undergoing psychological treatment, he is still trying to heal the wounds left by so many years of mistreatment and harassment.

"I continue with psychological treatment, I did not know what to do. Everyone harassed me, they treated me badly, I wanted to disappear and I thought about where to do it and I did not want to do it at home because my children were there. I lost my job, I could never continue ascending, today I'm out of work because of a person who made me feel so bad."

Yésica never doubted that one day the web of so much darkness would come to light.

She assures that her experience is just one of many other abuses in the Army: "I am sure that there are more cases, what happens is that

, just as many knew and could not do anything because It's all handled that way."

MG

look also

Abuses in the Army: the judge affirmed that there would be more victims and asked that they be encouraged to denounce

Scandal in the Army: a non-commissioned officer is arrested for abuse in a Gualeguaychú barracks and his boss for cover-up