The murder of Micaela "Mica" Ortega was a child's murder that occurred in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, and which led to the law known as "the Mica Ortega law", which deals with grooming, by adults, of children, with sexual purposes, in the South American country.[1]
Micaela Ortega
editMicaela Ortega (2003/2004–approx. 24 April, 2016) was a 12-year old Argentine girl, who was a resident of Bahia Blanca. Her mom's name is Monica Cid. Shortly before Ortega's death, Ortega had befriended a person named Jonathan Luna, using the Facebook social networking site.[2]
Luna was a 26-years old person who lived in a small house without many economical resources. However, Luna had a computer and had access to Facebook, utilizing four different accounts, which Luna used to contact minor females to befriend them and entice them, posing as a woman.[3]
On the night of her disappearance, Ortega left her house at Noroeste barrio in Bahia Blanca, thinking she was going to meet another 12-year old girl. After meeting Luna, Micaela walked a distance with the person until they arrived at a desolate spot, where Luna tried to rape her and then killed her.[4] Luna had picked her up at her house, having lied to her before and told her that Luna was driving her towards her supposed friend's house.[5]
Perpetrator
editJonathan Luna (born in 1989 or 1990, not to be confused with United States Attorney General Jonathan Luna) was once convicted of aggravated robbery. Luna was given a furlough, during which Luna took the opportunity to escape.[6]
Police were unable to locate him until the murder took place. Luna later declared to be transgender and was moved to a transgenders hall at penal unit 32 in Florencio Varela.[7]
Search
editOrtega's disappearance garnered national attention in Argentina. One month after it took place, newspapers and television were covering it, in hopes of finding her alive.[8]
Her dead body was found on 28 May, 2016 in a desolate area of Ingeniero White barrio in Bahia Blanca. She was found with her hands tied to her back. She had been beaten and strangulated.
After the finding of her body, local citizens marched to Luna's house, burning it down.[9]
Investigation
editLuna confessed to killing Ortega and took police officers to where Luna had placed her body.[10]
Trial
editLuna was tried in court for child sexual grooming, and, in a historical moment for Argentine justice, became the first person in the country to be convicted of those charges in October of 2017.[11] Luna was sentenced to life in prison.
Luna's public defendant, Ana Julia Biasotti, presented a motion in court to have Luna's sentence vacated because the defense had been denied a motion to take the case to Argentina;s supreme court and instead the trial was decided by the Bahia Blanca province's court. But the motion was denied on 5 July, 2023 by judges Ricardo Lorenzetti, Horacio Rosatti and Juan Carlos Maqueda.[12]
Mica's law
editMica's law, named after Ortega, is law #27,590 of the Argentine legal code. It declares that social networking sites in Argentina must tell minors about the dangers of using those sites with a warning once they get on them.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Ley Mica Ortega - Prevención y concientización sobre grooming". 16 December 2020.
- ^ "Grooming: Reglamentaron la Ley "Mica Ortega" | la norma crea el Programa de Prevención y Concientización del Ciberacoso contra niñes y adolescentes". 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Femicidio de Micaela Ortega: La Corte Suprema dejó firme la prisión perpetua a Jonathan Luna". 5 July 2023.
- ^ "El crimen de Micaela Ortega, la nena de 12 años cuyo caso impulsó la ley de grooming". 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Slain Argentine 12-year-old met killer on Facebook".
- ^ "Slain Argentine 12-year-old met killer on Facebook".
- ^ "El femicida Jonathan Luna cambió de género y de pabellón".
- ^ "Un mes buscando a Micaela Ortega, habló su madre". YouTube. 26 May 2016.
- ^ "Hallaron muerta a Micaela Ortega, la niña que era buscada desde hace un mes | Sucesos". 29 May 2016.
- ^ "Slain Argentine 12-year-old met killer on Facebook".
- ^ "Femicidio de Micaela Ortega: La Corte Suprema dejó firme la prisión perpetua a Jonathan Luna". 5 July 2023.
- ^ "Femicidio de Micaela Ortega: La Corte Suprema dejó firme la prisión perpetua a Jonathan Luna". 5 July 2023.
- ^ "Ley Mica Ortega - Prevención y concientización sobre grooming". 16 December 2020.