Asselin is the primary suspect in the abuse of a 13-year-old girl from the Wayúu community, an indigenous ethnicity native to Colombia’s Caribbean coast near the Venezuelan border. In April 2023, the girl was kidnapped and tortured at a hostel in Taganga, which Asselin had been managing since April 2022. He was apprehended at Cartagena’s bus station during an operation resulting from an investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia.

Local authorities were alerted after the property owners reclaimed the hostel when its rental agreement expired. They discovered the girl restrained and showing severe signs of abuse, including burns and the forced shaving of her head and eyebrows—actions that hold profound cultural significance for the Wayúu people.

The Wayúu community, to which the victim belongs, expressed deep sorrow. A Wayúu leader in Taganga explained to Bogotá daily newspaper El Tiempo that the forced shaving of the girl’s hair was a direct assault on her identity and spirituality. “This wasn’t just physical harm; it was an attempt to sever her from her roots,” the leader stated.

Estercilia Simanca, lawyer from the Wayúu community, has called for comprehensive state intervention to ensure justice and protection for the victim. She highlighted that as a member of an indigenous group, the victim is entitled to special protections under Colombian law, citing the Constitutional Court’s T-302 ruling, which recognizes Wayúu children as priority subjects of protection.

Simanca criticized institutional delays, noting that it took nearly a year to apprehend the suspect. She urged the Colombian government to expedite justice and expand protections for Wayúu children who migrate to cities and often find themselves in vulnerable situations, as reported by El Tiempo.

The community in Taganga has been striving to rebuild its reputation as a safe tourist destination after previous controversies involving human trafficking and exploitation. Nelson Briseño, a community leader in Taganga, voiced his concerns: “We’ve worked tirelessly to make Taganga a secure destination. Incidents like this are a setback to years of progress,” he told local newspaper Santa Marta Al Día.

Headline Photo: Andy Asselin was captured by the Colombian police (Photo: Office of the Attorney General of Colombia)