A Colombian judge sentenced a police officer to 44 years and two months in prison on Tuesday for the murder of a young soccer player in August 2020 in Cartagena de Indias. In addition, two other officers received sentences of between 13 and 14 years in prison for having filed false information in official reports with the aim of covering up the crime, according to the Attorney General's Office.

Historic sentence for the murder of a youth soccer player

The court ruling determined the responsibility of patrol officers Octavio Dario Porras Vides, Ivan Dario Olivo de Avila, and Esteban Gomez Ricard in the murder of a 17-year-old soccer player that occurred on August 24, 2020, in the capital of the department of Bolivar.

“It establishes the responsibility of patrol officers Octavio Dario Porras Vides, Ivan Dario Olivo de Avila, and Esteban Gomez Ricard in the murder of a young soccer player that occurred on August 24, 2020, in Cartagena (Bolivar),” the investigating body stated.

This is how it happened According to the Prosecutor's Office, the facts:

According to the investigation, on the day of the incident, the three members of the National Police arrived at a car wash located in the northern part of Cartagena, where they “beat the teenager because he did not provide accurate information about the business hours.”

The victim was identified as Harold David Morales, 17, a member of a soccer school in Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, who was temporarily in Cartagena. The young man fled the scene to avoid the attack.

The shot that ended Harold David Morales' life

“The officers pursued him, and one of them, Patrolman Porras Vides, caught up with him and shot him in the abdomen with his service weapon. The minor was taken to a medical center, where he died,” the official report stated.

The crime generated a strong reaction in public opinion and within the Colombian sports community,as it involved a teenager with potential in youth soccer.

The police setup that was exposed

According to the Prosecutor's Office, Olivo de Avila and Gomez Ricard stated in the official reports that the young soccer player belonged to a gang and that he had attacked them with a homemade weapon, which was supposedly seized and handed over under chain of custody.

“Testimonies, various investigative police work, and ballistics tests showed that the police officers' version was false. The young man never carried or used a firearm, and the homemade device provided was not capable of firing,” the report stated.

The sentences imposed by the Colombian justice system

For these acts, the criminal judge sentenced:– Octavio Dario Porras Vides to 44 years and 2 months in prison for the crime of aggravated homicide.– Ivan Dario Olivo de Avila to 13 years and 6 months in prison for aggravated aiding and abetting – Esteban Gomez Ricard to 14 years in prison for aggravated aiding and abetting and falsifying a public document.

Can they appeal the sentence?

Since this is a first-instance conviction, the officers can still appeal the sentence through the legal remedies provided for under Colombian law.

The case of Harold David Morales has become a symbol of the fight against police violence and impunity, leaving a deep mark on Colombian youth soccer and the country's collective memory.