EscucharMANAGUA - The leader of the Sandinistas and ex-President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega will stand up in court today to defend himself against accusations of sexual abuse, according to his legal advisor Ramón Rojas. The accusations were made by his step-daughter Zoilamérica Narvaez Murillo.
Rojas reiterated to ACAN-EFE that Ortega, the leader of the current opposition party in this country, "will not be prosecuted" for the alleged crimes since he enjoys immunity from the law as a member of the National Assembly.
The lawyer insisted that, legally speaking, the only thing Judge Martha Quezada can do is to throw the case out of court.
Last Thursday Zoilamérica repeated her allegations in court after Judge Quezada's ruling on May 27th that the sworn statements were not legally admissible.
The testimony included the allegation that Ortega began raping his step-daughter at the age of 15, after four years of sexually harassing her.
The 31-year old Zoilamérica, who now has two children of her own, has sparked off a sex scandal the likes of which has never been seen in Nicaragua. Her family, the Ortega-Murillos, have been obliged to seek protection from human rights institutions.
Ortega's wife Rosario Murillo, ex-minister of culture and Zoilamérica's mother, expressed her dismay last week that, ``an entire family has been publicly and unfairly condemned without any form of proof whatsoever,'' referring to the claims made by her own daughter.
Counter attack
Yesterday in court, the ex-director of the Sandinista Youth movement, Henry Petrie, denied having sexual relations with Zoilamérica, as has been alleged by members of Ortega's family.
Petrie has become infamous in the Nicaraguan press for his close relationship with Zoilamérica. In the past week he has been accused by Rosario Murillo of, ``misappropriating the personality, manipulation, abuse of power and kidnapping the mind'' of her daughter, and making her, ``a hostage to his own delirium and political ambitions.''
``For Zoilamérica all I have is friendship and affection, but certainly not sexual relations as Doña Rosario says,'' declared Petrie whilst speaking on anti-Sandinista radio show ``Radio Corporación''.
On May 30, Zoilamérica's brother Rafael Ortega claimed that Petrie ``had or has'' a sexual relationship with his sister.
Furthermore Rafael claims that Petrie, who was the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN in Spanish) Policy Secretary until a few months ago, is the chief architect of the sex scandal against Ortega.
Petrie denies all the counter-allegations, saying that they are trying to, ``discredit her and paint a picture of her as a mentally unstable person.''
``For me, Zoilamérica is a normal person concerned both about Nicaraguan society and herself, and who has perceived a profound transformation within the FSLN,'' he continued.
Without specifying dates or details, Petrie revealed that, ``within the highest levels of the Sandinista party and government [1979-1990] the rumors [of sexual abuse] were well known.''
Before the 1979 Sandinista triumph, Petrie had been a member of a tactical unit of the Popular Prolonged War movement (GPP in Spanish), one of the factions into which the Sandinistas were then divided.
Yesterday evening, Rosario Murillo was scheduled to appear before the Women, Children and Youth Commission of the National Assembly of Nicaragua to ask for protection against the ``ridicule and humiliation'' being suffered by her family as a result of the scandal.
