Ecuador court upholds femicide conviction, sentencing Germán Cáceres to 34 years

Ecuador's National Court of Justice has definitively upheld a 34-year and 8-month prison sentence for former police officer Germán Cáceres, confirming his conviction for the femicide of María Belén Bernal. The court unanimously declared the appeal filed by Cáceres' defense inadmissible, leaving the sentence firm.

This decision, issued on August 7, 2026, solidifies Cáceres' responsibility as the perpetrator of the crime in Quito. The ruling by the high court's magistrates rejected the defense's arguments after reviewing the case presented by the State Attorney General's Office. The sentence had been initially handed down in May 2023 by a Pichincha tribunal and later confirmed by the Provincial Court in May 2025.

The court's ruling also unequivocally maintained the innocence of sub-lieutenant Alfonso C., dismissing any criminal responsibility against him in connection with the case. The crime occurred in the early hours of September 11, 2022, when Bernal entered the Higher Police School "Alberto Enríquez Gallo" to meet her husband, then-lieutenant Germán Cáceres. Her disappearance within the police facility led to a search, and her remains were discovered on September 21, 2022, on Casitagua hill near the institution.

Investigations revealed that Cáceres committed the femicide and subsequently hid Bernal's body. He fled the country and remained a fugitive until his capture in Colombia in December 2022, after which he was extradited to Ecuador. He was tried and declared guilty in May 2023, having confessed to the crime.

Despite the final judicial ruling, Bernal's family continues to demand a comprehensive clarification of all events surrounding the crime and what transpired within the police school. They maintain that the judicial process, while concluding Cáceres's sentence, does not fully address their concerns regarding the administration of justice and the circumstances leading up to and following the femicide.