Almost three months after, One Direction star, Liam Payne died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, five people have been charged in connection with his death.
The manager of the hotel where Payne fell to his death, Gilda Martin, has been charged with manslaughter for the failure to prevent Payne being taken to his room under hazardous and dangerous circumstances.
The same hotel’s receptionist, Esteban Grassi, has also been charged with manslaughter for supposedly ensuring others forcibly brought Payne back to his room, despite the lack of safety for the balcony and the associated risks.
Payne’s friend, Roger Nores, has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly failing to reach his duty of care by abandoning Payne despite the knowledge of his impaired mental and physical state due to his known substance abuse.
If these defendants are found guilty of manslaughter, they could face prison sentences from one to five years.
Hotel employer, Ezequiel Pereyra has been charged with supplying Payne with drugs, as has hotel waiter Braian Paiz. Both have been remanded in custody until their appearance in court. If found guilty, these defendants could be given sentences ranging from four to 15 years in prison.
Argentina’s legal system requires prosecutors to gather evidence that is then given to the judge to prove whether a trial should proceed or not. Judge Bruniard has made the decision to bring the case to the next stage. This then allows the defendant’s teams to appeal, with the failure of such allowing the case to then proceed to a trial.
In making her decision to proceed, the Judge did emphasise the understanding that these individuals did not likely intend for Payne to die, but that their actions and omissions nonetheless posed significant risk to Payne’s life.
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