A court in Ecuador handed lengthy prison sentences Monday to a group of eleven soldiers who were responsible for the abduction and torture of four children last year—a case that has rattled the South American nation and raised questions about President Daniel Noboa’s efforts to militarize some cities amid a surge in drug-related violence.
The court sentenced the soldiers to 34 years in prison for the “forced disappearance” of the children, and said the defendants would have to pay $10,000 fines to the families of the victims and ask for forgiveness in public.
The soldiers convicted on Monday are expected to face a murder trial for the deaths of the children next year. The remains of the children—aged 11 to 15—were found in December 2024, a few weeks after they were reported missing.
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Ecuadorian Court Hands Down Max Sentences to 11 Soldiers in Case of 4 Disappeared Minors
12/22/2025
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