Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Stabbing Partner in Costa Rica
Defendant Mesén accepts charges in San Ramón case, avoiding trial through procedure outlined in Penal Code.
A court in San Ramón de Alajuela, Costa Rica, has sentenced Jorge Mesén to 25 years in prison following his guilty plea for the fatal stabbing of Braidyn Badilla, his partner, in December 2023. This information was confirmed by the Costa Rican Judicial Branch's press office.
Mesén accepted the charges in accordance with a special abbreviated procedure under the Costa Rican Penal Process Code, which allows defendants who admit to the facts and their penal responsibility to resolve cases without a trial.
The incident occurred in a commercial establishment where Badilla had recently opened a food and beverage outlet.
Her family discovered her body on December 24, 2023, and Mesén was arrested shortly afterwards in Caldera, Puntarenas, by local law enforcement officials.
Badilla and Mesén were in a relationship, but the motives behind the attack remain unclear.
Badilla had only been operating her business for three weeks, striving to secure a better future for her son, who is currently 13 years old.
Since the incident, custody of the child has been transferred to his father.
According to the Gender Violence Observatory on Women's Access to Justice of the Costa Rican Judicial Branch, there were 23 femicides in both 2023 and 2024 within the country.
This case adds to the statistics that highlight ongoing societal concerns regarding gender-based violence.
Mesén accepted the charges in accordance with a special abbreviated procedure under the Costa Rican Penal Process Code, which allows defendants who admit to the facts and their penal responsibility to resolve cases without a trial.
The incident occurred in a commercial establishment where Badilla had recently opened a food and beverage outlet.
Her family discovered her body on December 24, 2023, and Mesén was arrested shortly afterwards in Caldera, Puntarenas, by local law enforcement officials.
Badilla and Mesén were in a relationship, but the motives behind the attack remain unclear.
Badilla had only been operating her business for three weeks, striving to secure a better future for her son, who is currently 13 years old.
Since the incident, custody of the child has been transferred to his father.
According to the Gender Violence Observatory on Women's Access to Justice of the Costa Rican Judicial Branch, there were 23 femicides in both 2023 and 2024 within the country.
This case adds to the statistics that highlight ongoing societal concerns regarding gender-based violence.
