Judge Declares Two Men Innocent in Angie Orteaga Murder Case in Baranoa, Atlántico: 'Only Forgiveness Remains'

A judge has declared two men innocent of the 2012 murder of nine-year-old Angie Paola Arteaga in Baranoa, Atlántico, a case that had previously shaken Colombia. The exoneration comes after years of legal proceedings where the accused were implicated based on what is now understood to be false testimony.

Yesid Alberto Lafaurie Pérez and Juan Carlos Jiménez were initially arrested and subjected to pre-trial detention for their alleged involvement in the tragic crime. However, subsequent investigations and new findings led to a re-evaluation of the case. In 2022, the Second Mixed Circuit Court of Sabanalarga determined that the two men had no connection to the minor's death, ruling in their favor. This decision highlighted the injustice of their prolonged detention.

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'Only this forgiveness remains.'

Tragically, one of the wrongly accused, Juan Carlos Jiménez, died in prison in 2014, unable to see his name cleared. Yesid Alberto Lafaurie Pérez, however, lived to witness his exoneration. The Colombian Prosecutor's Office issued an official apology to Lafaurie on July 23, 2026, acknowledging his unjust deprivation of liberty.

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In virtue of Resolution No. 01496 of 2026 and in accordance with the faculty delegated through Resolution No. 00314 of 2021, I respectfully address you through this writing, in order to offer a heartfelt and sincere apology, on behalf of the Prosecutor's Office, for the events that, according to the procedural truth, were first clarified by the Seventh (7th) Oral Administrative Court of the Circuit of Barranquilla, in the sentence issued on April 3, 2020.

In a statement, the Prosecutor's Office expressed "a heartfelt and sincere apology" for the events, referencing a ruling from the Seventh Oral Administrative Court of the Circuit of Barranquilla dated April 3, 2020. The entity confirmed that Lafaurie "was not found responsible for the commission of the imputed crime and consequently was unjustly deprived of his liberty."

Judge David Guette commented on the case via his X account, stating, "Only this forgiveness remains." The case serves as a stark reminder of the fallibility of the justice system and the devastating impact of wrongful accusations and imprisonment.

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Yesid Alberto Lafauire 'was not found responsible for the commission of the imputed crime and consequently was unjustly deprived of his liberty'.