Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency:  Newsflash

A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for beating his two-year-old stepdaughter to death because her noisiness distracted his studying.

The murder took place in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman located in the Argentine province of Tucuman on 18th October.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement saying that Juan Gerardo Paz, 33, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on 19th November.

According to local media, the decision comes after a plea bargain where Paz admitted to initially slapping the victim, identified as two-year-old Abigail Luna, and then beating her in different parts of her body leading to multiple injuries including head trauma which was found to be the cause of death.

It happened at a residence where Paz lived with his wife and two step-daughters, Abigail being the youngest.

He claimed he attacked the two-year-old because she made too much noise, preventing him from being able to study.

The toddler was rushed to a local hospital in the San Cayetano neighbourhood where she was pronounced dead.

The victim’s mum told medics what Paz had done before they called the authorities who then arrested him.

According to the newspaper Infobae, prosecutor Ignacio Lopez Bustos called the case and verdict “exemplary” because justice was carried out in just under a month. (https://bit.ly/2KiqayM).

The same report adds Abigail’s mum, who has not been named, told the judge that Paz always promised he would change his ways but never did.

She added that she never reported the abuse to the authorities out of fear.

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