Peru court frees school director and teacher under investigation over student’s death in Iquitos

A school director and teacher in Iquitos will face the investigation into a student’s death outside detention, after a court replaced their seven days of judicial custody with restricted appearance rules.

The Third Preparatory Investigation Court of Maynas issued the decision after a hearing that lasted about 12 hours. Director Elías Grandez Zegarra and teacher Alfred Chilcho Saavedra had been detained following the collapse of a concrete structure at Petronila Perea de Ferrando school in Loreto. The collapse killed 18-year-old student Taylor Segundo Yaicate Ricopa and injured another student, Anthony Gárate Ríos.

Both defendants must attend summonses issued by authorities while the Public Ministry continues its criminal investigation. The Maynas Corporate Provincial Sixth Criminal Prosecutor’s Office is examining alleged negligent homicide, negligent injuries, exposing a dependent person to danger and abuse of authority.

The ruling drew criticism from the dead student’s family. His father, Segundo Yaicate, questioned the decision and called for responsibility to be established. Based on testimony from parents and students cited in his complaint, he said his son may have been required to help demolish an inactive elevated water-tank structure.

Prosecutors will gather statements from about 40 students in the fourth and fifth years of secondary school and order technical examinations of the collapsed infrastructure. The work is intended to establish the structure’s condition and the level of participation of the teachers under investigation. The defense of Alfred Chilcho Saavedra’s family has also asked investigators to examine people connected with the construction of the school infrastructure.

“

We had no choice but to demonstrate in defense of our labor rights.