Rumors concerning a teacher suspected of sexually abusing her pupils at a kindergarten in the town of San Nicolas de Ibarra have been stirring since last April.
This week they erupted into a full-blown media maelstrom, throwing Chapala and its neighboring communities in an uproar.
On Monday, July 17, state authorities publically acknowledged that the parents of 11 youngsters filed criminal complaints dating back to April 27 against the English teacher employed at the Fray Juan Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo preschool. At 1:30 a.m. the following day the schoolteacher, identified as Ana N. age 29, was apprehended under an arrest order issued hours earlier. A related search warrant allowed investigators to look for evidence of connections to a child pornography ring at her residence.
Later on Tuesday, Jalisco Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer held a press conference revealing basic details of the case that has been under investigation by various agencies. A key point was that all of the 11 children mentioned in the criminal complaint were submitted for examination by experts at the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Science (IJCF).
While two types of physical exams have not provided sufficient evidence to hold up a charge of sexual abuse, he said that three of the presumed victims appear to have suffered the kind of psychological affections associated with such a crime. That finding provided sufficient grounds to obtain the arrest order for Ana N.
He also repeated the parents’ claims that their suspicions were aroused by behavioral changes observed in their offspring that are consistent with sexual abuse. After questioning by adults, several of the children coincided in stories of inappropriate touching by the teacher who instructed them to dress up in animal costumes, perform erotic dances, and disrobe for photographs taken by her and two male accomplices.
Jalisco Education Secretary Francisco Ayón spoke up separately, indicating that his department is likewise looking into the matter to detect possible involvement of the kindergarten’s principal or other staff. He pointed out that the English teacher was not a state employee, but hired independently by the school’s parent association.
The story quickly went viral on state, national and international media outlets and multiple social networks. In the process, solid facts became obscured or twisted by sloppy reporting, yellow journalism and the poison of personal prejudices.
On the local level, truth has been degraded with the spread of unsubstantiated allegations, conjecture and outright falsehoods that have left the inhabitants of San Nicolas deeply divided and sparked a firestorm of political intrigue.
The accused teacher has already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, forgetful that the presumption of innocence is a foundation of Mexico’s new criminal justice system. And loose tongues fueled by ulterior motives accuse Chapala Mayor Javier Degollado of colluding with perverts and covering up for a child pornography ring allegedly operated by foreigners with deep pockets said to reside in the area.
In interviews with the media, Degollado has insisted that his government fulfilled its duties to assist the children and their families, offering free transportation and meals for trips to the IJCF, guidance on legal matters, and moral support through the Family Development Agency (DIF), without overstepping the boundaries of permissible scope of action.
On the other hand, some of the parents complain of intimidation by the mayor and his associates, who appeared keen not to raise an outcry and negatively affect the administration’s public image.
While it is evident that city hall did attempt to keep a lid on the story, it is also clear that the government’s political enemies have engaged in a smear campaign. With state elections now just 12 months away, the game is on.