A nurse in Argentina has been sentenced to life in prison for killing five newborn babies and attempting to murder eight more in a hospital’s neonatal ward, according to multiple local media reports.
Brenda Cecilia Aguero was convicted of injecting potassium and insulin into the infants at the Maternal and Child Hospital in Córdoba province between March and June of 2022. Prosecutors stated that she accessed the substances from emergency medical carts that lacked proper inventory control, enabling her actions to go unnoticed for months.
Under Argentine law, Aguero must serve at least 35 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The verdict and sentencing were broadcast live on Argentine television on Wednesday, where a court clerk formally read out the decision.
The babies involved were reportedly born healthy, but their sudden and unexplained deaths raised suspicions within the hospital. Eight of the targeted infants survived thanks to timely medical interventions.
The high-profile trial also resulted in charges against 10 other individuals, including former health officials and medical personnel. They faced accusations of attempting to cover up the incidents and failing to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
Among those charged were the former Minister and Secretary of Health for Córdoba province, as well as the hospital’s former director.
Aguero, who was taken into custody in 2022, consistently denied the allegations, claiming there was no concrete evidence against her. In court, she criticized media coverage that portrayed her as a “serial killer.”
Of the 10 other defendants, five were found guilty and handed lighter sentences. The remaining five, including the former provincial officials, were acquitted, according to Argentine news outlet Infobae.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS