This Wednesday, November 5, the indictment hearing began against Juan Carlos, accused of the murder of young Jaime Esteban, a Systems Engineering student at the Universidad de los Andes, murdered on a street in Chapinero after leaving a bar.
The process, which began around 9 in the morning before the 37th criminal circuit court of Bogotá, began with the request of the Prosecutor’s Office for the proceedings to be reserved, which sparked debate between the parties.
Prosecutor Heidy Milena Ruiz, in charge of the case from the Engativá URI, argued that the confidentiality is necessary to protect the material elements of evidence and the safety of the witnesses. However, the request was not well received by the victim’s defense.
Lawyer Francisco Bernate, who represents Jaime Esteban’s family, was firmly opposed: “This is a case that has mobilized public opinion. “We cannot deprive the country of knowing what happened in this homicide,” he stated, also pointing out that there is no legal basis to prevent the publicity of the hearing.
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Although the judge denied total secrecy, he did accept a partial restriction: images of the victim’s body, as well as videos and witness data, cannot be disclosed to avoid revictimization and protect the ongoing investigation.
The crime that shook the capital occurred in the early morning of October 31, 2025. Jaime Esteban left the Before Club bar, located on 64th Street and 15th Street, and minutes later he was attacked by a group of people without there being a prior fight. Security cameras show how he received several kicks and blows, one of them to the head, which caused fatal head trauma. His attacker was captured days later after intelligence work and police monitoring.
Currently, Juan Carlos is the only one captured in the case. The accusation hearing will continue with the presentation of evidence and is expected to move towards the request for a security measure, while the young man’s family demands full justice and guarantees of non-repetition.
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