A municipal employee accuses him of having harassed her between August 2023 and the beginning of this year. Out of fear, he requested protection measures. Gerardo Merino has not yet expressed himself on the subject.
The mayor of the Chubut town of Trelew, Gerardo Merinowas accused by alleged sexual abuse against a municipal employee between August 2023 and early 2024. The complaint was filed by the victim last Friday.
The municipal worker made the judicial presentation before the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which she accompanied with a file processed before the Secretary of Labor where she accuses Merino of abuse of power and workplace harassment. Besides, The woman requested protective measures for fear of possible retaliation.
According to the complaint, The events began in August 2023, when Merino was elected mayor after running as a candidate for the Radical Civic Union (UCR), and They were extended until the beginning of 2024already with the radical leader at the head of the Municipality of Trelew.
image.png
@gerardomerinotw
The complaint is in the preliminary stage at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which must evaluate whether there are sufficient elements to initiate a criminal case. For the moment, the Mayor Merino did not make a public statement on the issue.
The complaint against Merino
In the text presented by the municipal worker, she states that The first episode of harassment occurred in August 2023, after Merino’s electoral victory. On that occasion, she was summoned by a radical leader to a meeting at her private home located on a farm located on the outskirts of Trelew.
According to the testimony of the complainant, After a strong argument over the termination of several contracts in the municipality, Merino physically attacked her, prevented her from leaving and made intimidating comments.
After that first meeting, Merino sent her a series of WhatsApp messages with inappropriate content, according to the complainant, until February 2024. He would even have attempted physical contact at public events. In the judicial presentation, he attached screenshots of messages that would demonstrate the workplace harassment suffered by the municipal employee.
Source: Ambito
