Naman Shrestha
In January 2020, 18-year-old Fernando Báez Sosa was in Villa Gesell on a trip with his high school friends when he tragically passed away. His death shook all of Argentina to its core while his loved ones embarked on a mission to bring the perpetrator/s responsible for Fernando’s murder to justice. The entire case and the investigation that ensued were covered in a detailed manner in Netflix’s ’50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case,’ an Argentinian three-part true crime documentary series.
A Night of Partying Led to the Tragic Death of Fernando
Born on March 2, 2001, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fernando José Báez Sosa was the beloved son of Silvino Báez and Graciela Sosa. A pair of immigrants from Carapeguá, Paraguay, Silvino worked as a doorman, while Graciela was employed in hospice care. While raising their only son in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, the two worked very hard to give him the best life they could, within their abilities. While they struggled financially, they were devoted to sending their son to school. Thus, Fernando was granted a scholarship to attend Marianistas de Caballito High School. He was a bright student with an aim of pursuing a career as a criminal attorney.
After high school, Fernando went on to study law at the University of Buenos Aires. He was fully determined to build a great life and was ready to do everything he could to fulfill his aspirations. While working towards realizing his goals at the university, his paths crossed with Julieta Rossi, another law student, and the two began dating. He had also introduced her to his friends. By the time January 2020 rolled around, Fernando was excited for a summer trip with Julieta and his high school friends to Villa Gesell, a charming beach town in Villa Gesell Partido in Buenos Aires Province. On January 16, 2020, the group made their way to the resort city and spent the next couple of days discovering the scenic spots along the stunning Atlantic coastline.
What was supposed to be a fun-filled trip with Julieta, Matias Figueiras, Juan Manuel Pereyra Rozas, Lucas Filardi, Tomas D’Alessandro, and Federico Tavarozzi turned into a tragedy just two days later. On January 18, the group (except for Julieta) headed out to explore the vibrant nightlife and decided to hit Le Brique nightclub, located on Avenida 3 and Calle 102, around 1:30 am. One thing led to another, and the night took an unfortunate turn for Fernando, who was discovered dead by the authorities a few hours later. It was soon determined that the 18-year-old law student was beaten to death by multiple individuals. The autopsy reports stated Fernando’s cause of death as neurogenic shock resulting from severe trauma and internal bleeding he sustained due to the multiple hits.
Fernando Báez Sosa Was Attacked by Another Group of Friends Outside the Nightclub
During the investigation, the authorities retraced the steps of Fernando Báez Sosa on the fateful night. They learned that by 4:30 am on January 18, 2020, Le Brique nightclub had become overcrowded, and one of Fernando’s friends got into a fight with another group of friends, which only escalated from there. The altercation led the security guards to remove the other group of friends from the club forcibly. On the other hand, Fernando and some of his friends got out of the club on their own and waited for the rest of their friends so that they could leave together. A few minutes later, as per the surveillance footage, two of the rugbiers from the other group, Enzo Comelli and Ciro Pertossi, allegedly began attacking Fernando and his friends right outside the club.
Targeting Fernando, out of the eight attackers, a few punched and kicked him while others attacked his friends and prevented them from protecting him. Although the assault lasted for less than a minute, it resulted in Fernando’s tragic demise, which shook the entire nation of Argentina. After carrying out the beating, the group of young rugby players, including Enzo, Ciro, Máximo Thomsen, Luciano Pertossi, Lucas Pertossi, Matías Benicelli, Blas Cinalli, Ayrton Viollaz, Juan Pedro Guarino, and Alejo Milanesi, returned to their hostel, which was nearby. They removed traces of blood from their bodies and changed their clothes. Around 10:30 am, all 10 members of the group were taken into custody by the authorities.
Eight Individuals Were Eventually Punished For Fernando’s Murder
Out of them, Juan and Alejo were released from jail on February 10, 2020, due to a lack of evidence against them. The rest of them stood trial for double aggravated homicide by malice aforethought nearly three years after the incident, on January 2, 2023. During the trial, the prosecution claimed that the defendants had a premeditated plan to attack Fernando and prevent his friends from intervening. In court, the recorded video from the night of the murder was also played, wherein Maximo was heard yelling at Fernando, “Stand up and fight.” A couple of eyewitnesses, Tatiana Caro and Tomas Bidondo, also testified against the defendants.
Finally, on February 6, 2023, all eight attackers were found guilty of aggravated homicide in connection with Fernando Báez Sosa’s murder. Out of them, Máximo Thomsen, Ciro Pertossi, Luciano Pertossi, Matías Benicelli, and Enzo Comelli were declared co-perpetrators and sentenced to life in prison. The remaining three convicts, Lucas Pertossi, Blas Cinalli, and Ayrton Viollaz, were declared accessories to the crime and sentenced to 15 years in prison. A few months after the sentencing hearing, the defense appealed that the convicts had no intent to murder and reported irregularities in the trial. However, the court denied the appeal and upheld all eight sentences.
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