“If Daniel Sancho cried today, think about the year that Edwin Arrieta’s family has been crying”

The Thai court that sentenced Daniel Sancho The Spaniard was spared the life of the life sentence for his good behaviour and for collaborating with the investigators. That is why Rodolfo Sancho’s son has avoided, according to the text of the verdict, the worst of the scenarios. But the grandson of Sancho Gracia The fact that he has escaped the death penalty does not mean that the defendant will have an easy time from now on. The court has appreciated the position of the prosecutor and the Arrietas and has considered that the death of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta In early August 2023 on the island of Koh Phangan, it was a premeditated murder, that is, it was part of a plan hatched in advance by the Spaniard.

The lawyers hired by actor Rodolfo Sancho to defend his son were prepared for anything and had drawn up each and every one of the documents necessary to appeal, which he will do once he has full and formal knowledge of the life sentence. The period established by the law of the Southeast Asian country for the appeal is one month. As we announced a few days ago, if the appeals do not prosper, first to the provincial court and then to the Supreme Court of Thailand, the only last option for Daniel Sancho’s defense is to send a letter to the King of Thailand asking for clemency from the monarch and begging for his forgiveness, a prerogative of the sovereign, but with an unavoidable condition: to recognize his guilt and admit all the charges for which he is convicted.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, whose wife is in Spain, in Mallorca, He can, within his powers, pardon the lives of prisoners sentenced to death or life imprisonment. And he has a habit of doing so on his birthday, as Mohammed VI did in Morocco with the prisoners of the Alawite kingdom. The Thai monarch was born on July 28. That is, It would not be surprising if, if the appeals fail, Daniel Sancho and his family might have to wait at least a year to find out if he is pardoned..

Juango Ospina, the lawyer for the family of the murdered Colombian surgeon, has confessed that they are “very satisfied with this sentence,” and explains that the ruling “reflects the hard work we have been doing since September.” The lawyer, who had to travel to Thailand in March, decided to hire another law firm in Koh Samui.

“We are not going to appeal the compensation”

“I spoke to Darling (the victim’s sister) at half past six, she started crying, she was emotional, with emotional and human words of gratitude, we were also the private prosecutors and we asked questions. I think that We are not going to appeal the compensation, “I was always cautious in saying what the verdict could be. We are satisfied. The facts have reflected premeditation and the imposition of a sentence that will allow Daniel to reflect on the profound damage he has done to a family that will not be able to compensate for their injuries. When I interacted with our offices in Thailand, they remained concerned. I have the documents and the coroner who performed the analysis of Edwin’s body maintains that the contusions on his skull occurred before he died. My words were justified and we are satisfied with this verdict,” says Ospina.

“If, when the sentence is final, Daniel Sancho’s lawyers want to request his transfer and the legal requirements are met, we have little more to add. The requirements include a sincere and genuine request for forgiveness, something that has not yet been forthcoming. It has been said that Daniel cried a lot today, the Arrieta family has been crying since August 2nd last year, with anxiety and taking medication. I respect the line of defense, but I do not share it. The simple thing would have been to ask for forgiveness, to have approached the victim, to have sought compensation and we would be talking about how Daniel would serve his sentence in Spain.

Regarding the possibility of requesting that the money Daniel receives in prison be seized so that it reaches Edwin’s family, Juango Ospina believes that it is more logical that the money from these privileges goes to the Arrietas: “Killing a son, dismembering him, throwing him into the sea as if he were a dog or a garbage can are serious crimes; they are having a very bad time. If Daniel has privileges in the penitentiary center, I think we would be consistent with whether the family has something to help him in prison. They could also help the Arrieta family, who have been left helpless,” the lawyer said.

“I replied that we would be delighted to approach the family and hear some proposal for forgiveness. But it never came. The line of defense that has been taken has done a lot of damage, they came to ask for an acquittal alleging that our client was a sexual predator. This has done a lot of damage. If Daniel has cried today, think about how much Edwin’s family has cried,” the lawyer repeats. “If there is a real pardon, I hope that the prison will serve to reintegrate and resocialize. That can surely help with the grieving process,” concludes the defender of the Arrieta family.