Ecuador: Teenager Faces Juvenile Court for Alleged Murder

The murder of a university financial manager in Quito on June 11, 2026, has brought to light a distinct legal pathway for a 17-year-old suspect. Police have identified the minor as the alleged direct perpetrator of the attack, leading a judge to order his preventive detention.

This adolescent faces a separate legal process from the five adult suspects investigated for the same crime. In Ecuador, individuals under 18 are governed by the Code of Childhood and Adolescence, as stipulated in Article 38 of the Organic Integral Penal Code. This system prioritizes a restorative approach, where judicial decisions aim for the adolescent to accept responsibility, comply with socio-educational measures, and reintegrate into society, rather than imposing adult penalties, even for serious offenses like murder or contract killing.

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The age that counts is the age they had when the crime occurred.

José Elías Cárdenas Llerena, a criminal lawyer at IUS Firma de Abogados, explained that the age at the time of the offense is the determining factor. The suspect was 17 when the financial manager died following an armed attack in Quito. Following apprehension, if caught in the act, the adolescent must be brought before a specialized prosecutor within 24 hours for a hearing on the legality of the arrest and the formulation of charges.

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Preventive detention functions as a precautionary measure and not as an anticipated declaration of guilt.

During this hearing, the prosecution presents evidence linking the adolescent to the crime and may request precautionary measures. The judge evaluates the severity of the offense, the available evidence, and the risks to the judicial process before making a decision. In this specific case, a specialized prosecutor filed charges against the adolescent, and the judge ordered preventive detention to ensure his appearance throughout the proceedings.

Cárdenas emphasized that preventive detention is a precautionary measure, not an advance declaration of guilt or a sentence. It is considered an exceptional, last-resort measure that judges may order for serious crimes when there is sufficient evidence of the adolescent's involvement and a risk of flight or interference with the investigation. Articles 330 and 331 of the Code of Childhood and Adolescence outline the conditions under which preventive detention can be applied.

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It is an exceptional measure and a last resort.