Prosecutors must pay compensation to a man acquitted after more than a year in detention.
A Uruguayan citizen who was wrongfully detained and spent 457 days in prison will finally be compensated by the State. The ruling, which recognizes a serious failure of the judicial system , requires the Prosecutor's Office to pay $50,000 in compensation after confirming that the man was innocent of the charges against him.
The case rekindles the debate about abuses in the use of pretrial detention and the lack of redress in cases where the State makes mistakes, but a person's life is suspended for months—and in this case, more than a year—without a final conviction.
How it all began: a formalization without conviction
This man's legal history began on June 28, 2020 , when the Eighth Court of Paysandú charged him with the alleged crime of particularly aggravated robbery pretrial detention was ordered , although a sentence had not yet been issued.
After six months, he was granted house arrest , but that measure was overturned by an appeals court, which ordered his immediate return to prison . It wasn't until October 27, 2021 , more than a year later, that the Fourth Court of Paysandú acquitted him of all charges and ordered his release.
The acquittal was upheld by a higher court in April 2022, confirming his innocence.
The consequences of an institutional error
According to his defense, during this entire time, the victim was the main financial supporter of his family. His unjust detention had profound consequences not only financially but also psychologically and socially. In addition to losing income, the man's reputation, work relationships, and emotional health suffered.
Faced with this reality, the defense filed a lawsuit for damages . The Judiciary granted the claim and ruled that the Prosecutor's Office must pay compensation for the unjust deprivation of liberty.
This resolution recognizes the State's responsibility when it fails to protect citizens' fundamental rights, and sets a precedent for other similar cases.
Preventive detention in Uruguay: an increasingly questioned measure
According to data from the National Rehabilitation Institute , almost half of those deprived of liberty in Uruguay have not received a final conviction. Pretrial detention, which should be an exceptional measure, is frequently applied in situations where the accused are later acquitted.
Organizations such as the National Human Rights Institution and various local NGOs have warned in multiple reports that this excessive use of precautionary measures violates constitutional principles and the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty .
This case reopens that discussion. Although the man was released, it was 457 days after he had been deprived of his liberty. And although it is now acknowledged that the Prosecutor's Office will have to pay compensation , the experience he endured is irreparable.
Compensation: relief or simple formal reparation?
$50,000 settlement is intended to repair the damage caused, but it also raises questions. Is it enough to compensate for more than a year of lost freedom? How do you measure the impact of a wrongful accusation on a person's life?
For many experts, these types of rulings should be accompanied by reforms to judicial processes to prevent pretrial detention from being used as the norm rather than the exception.
The case, although resolved in court, leaves a warning sign: when the system makes mistakes, the most vulnerable person bears the cost . And when that happens, the least the State can do is assume its responsibility and compensate for the damage.
