Former Tucumán Governor José Alperovich, sentenced to 16 years in jail for sexually assaulting his niece in 2024, was granted house arrest on Wednesday. He will be fitted with an ankle bracelet and relocated to his apartment in the upscale Buenos Aires neighborhood of Puerto Madero.

Alperovich was convicted and sentenced in April of last year for abusing and raping his niece, who worked as his secretary between 2017 and 2018. In total, he was found guilty on nine counts of sexual assault. He was then transferred to the Ezeiza federal prison, where he spent one year until he was granted house arrest this week.

The Puerto Madero apartment where Alperovich is set to spend his house arrest has been cited in the investigation as one of the places where the victim was assaulted.

Alperovich has appealed the sentence, meaning his situation is still subject to revisions.

Judge Juan Ramos Padilla, who sentenced Alperovich, ordered the formerly powerful and influential politician to wear an ankle monitor and comply with strict restrictions. These include a total ban on contacting the victim or her close family and abstaining from making public statements that may affect her.

Any violation or attempt to evade those restrictions will lead to the “immediate withdrawal” of the house arrest benefit, sending Alperovich back to prison, the ruling said.

Alperovich will also have to post an AR$400 million (US$332,000) bail to be transferred to his apartment.

Alperovich turned 70 in April, the age at which inmates can request house arrest due to old age. Other situations, such as having health conditions that are incompatible with life in prison, can also merit a judge granting house arrest. Alperovich had previously requested the benefit a couple of times, citing back problems and other issues, but it had been rejected.

The judge’s explanation 

“House arrest is not an exceptional benefit or an act of mercy but a legal instrument that is used under certain conditions,” the judge wrote in his ruling, explaining his decision. “I hope Alperovich can understand that power and money are not enough to guarantee impunity nor extraordinary benefits.”

Ramos Padilla added that he did not grant Alperovich house arrest “as a privilege or for compassion,” but that it is “a legitimate exercise of a legal attribution” under conditions of strict control, neutralizing attempts at obstruction or flight risk, and ensuring the protection of the victim.

The judge also mentioned attempts from Alperovich’s circle to discredit the investigation and the victim. He also highlighted the woman’s “exemplary” behavior during the judicial process. From the start, Alperovich has denied all accusations against him, saying the accusations were politically motivated. His wife, Beatriz Rojkés, has also fiercely defended his innocence.