Daniel Sancho’s family advisors: “The prison in which he is in Thailand threatens human rights”

2023-08-17 05:00:00

Carmen Balfagón and Ramón Chippirrás are the spokespersons for Daniel Sancho’s family and their advisors in Spain. ALBERTO LOPEZ

The name of daniel sancho, son of the well-known actor Rodolfo Sancho, has surely been the protagonist of the vast majority of conversations on sets, bars and Spanish stores in recent days. The young 29-year-old chef has been formally accused by the Thai police of murdering and dismembering Edwin Arrieta, a Colombian surgeon with whom he allegedly had a relationship and with whom he had gone on vacation. Now, He is incarcerated in a Thai prison and faces the death penalty..

Carmen Balfagón and Ramón Chippirrás are two lawyers and criminologists from Madrid. His office has recently taken over the representation of the family of Daniel Sancho, with the aim of acting as spokespersons and advising his parents from Spain.

—What is the current position of the Sancho family?

—First, absolute collaboration. Second, be careful, because we depend on how the process continues for the trial, which will be in about six months. We will have to see where the defense strategy of their lawyers in Thailand goes.

—What happened that August 2 at the hotel in Thailand where Daniel and Edwin were staying?

—We know how it happened and when it happened, but we don’t know why. The motivation. Daniel has confessed, but we still don’t know what happened. It seems ridiculous that, committing a crime of these characteristics, the perpetrator goes to report the disappearance of the victim to the same police station.

Chronology of the Daniel Sancho case: «I am guilty, but I was Edwin’s hostage. He held me prisoner and threatened my entire family.”

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—What is the current situation of Daniel Sancho?

—The last thing we know about him is that he was in a very bad way. And so he made it known to his family and friends. There is a report from Amnesty International that shows how a Spanish prison has nothing to do with the Thai one where Daniel is. Overcrowding, terrible food, they sleep on the floor… It threatens human rights.

—Have they been able to speak with the family or representatives of the victim?

They haven’t contacted us, no. We are very sorry, how could it be otherwise, the death of Edwin Arrieta. He is the victim, without a doubt. But they have their lawyers and they are working on the ground, in Thailand, and in Colombia.

“Was Daniel Sancho threatened?”

-Clear. We believe so. That is why you have to find motivation, because he has always maintained that he was threatened. And also his family. What we know as criminologists is that, to commit a crime like this, there must be an enormous motivation.

“Your client’s son has already confessed to the crime.” Do you think it was something passionate or economic?

“For starters, we know very little about the case. They have not yet sent us the police reports, we have only seen what has been leaking and yesterday’s press conference, nothing more. We doubt that it is something passionate, but surely it is not something economic. We assume that it is more about the issue of threats.

Detective Surachate Hakparn, the “Colombo” of the Daniel Sancho case

M.S.

“What penalty is he facing?”

“They have asked for the death penalty for him.” It is true that, fortunately, no Westerner has ever been executed in Thailand. The usual thing is that he is replaced by permanent prison or, in the best of cases, 20 or 25 years for a homicide.

“Would I have to serve my sentence in Thailand?” Or is extradition a realistic option?

—Extradition, as such, there is no. What there is is a cooperation agreement from 1983, which does facilitate the exchange for the execution of sentences. The normal thing would be that he fulfilled part of the sentence there. To begin with, all the time in provisional prison, which can be several years until the appeal channels are exhausted. The last Spaniards imprisoned there have been nine and seven years waiting to be transferred back to Spain.

—Could the fact of having denied responsibility for the crime before confessing be harmful to Daniel Sancho?

—I think that the Thai Justice has valued that, finally, he confessed to the crime and collaborated in the investigation.

Thai Police accuse Daniel Sancho of premeditated murder and will seek the death penalty

The voice

— Was there anything about the press conference of the deputy director of the Thai police that surprised you?

—That they say so categorically that the police investigation has already finished. We lack proceedings such as the autopsy, the fatal wound of the victim, or copies of the technical-ocular inspection. In any case, we handled several hypotheses of what the Thai police could sustain and there was nothing that caught us too much by surprise.

“Has your client’s son shown remorse?”

-We do not know. We still don’t have a copy of the police records.

—Why did you decide to accept the family’s counsel in this case?

—First, because the case is very interesting for our office. But, above all, for the emotional part, which is to put ourselves on the side of the parents having children ourselves.

Filed in: Daniel Sancho Thailand Human Rights