The historic public and oral trial in **Chubut** for the massacre of **[penguins in Punta Tombo](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/borrador-automaticotermina-el-juicio-por-la-masacre-de-pinguinos-en-punta-tombo-la-fiscalia-pidio-cuatro-anos-de-carcel/)** concluded this Wednesday with the details of the **[sentence for Ricardo La Regina](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/borrador-automaticotermina-el-juicio-por-la-masacre-de-pinguinos-en-punta-tombo-la-fiscalia-pidio-cuatro-anos-de-carcel/)**.
The livestock producer had been found guilty and received a three-year **[suspended prison sentence](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/borrador-automaticotermina-el-juicio-por-la-masacre-de-pinguinos-en-punta-tombo-la-fiscalia-pidio-cuatro-anos-de-carcel/)**. This means that he will not go to jail, but the sentence already sets a precedent in the country and the region.
## Historic Sentence for Penguin Massacre in Punta Tombo
The **Chubut Judiciary** handed down a sentence in the oral trial for the penguin massacre in Punta Tombo. They sentenced the responsible party, Ricardo Adolfo La Regina, for the crimes of **aggravated damage in a continuous manner** and animal cruelty.
“The ruling not only imposes an exemplary sentence but also sets a precedent in the defense of our country’s ecosystems,” celebrated the plaintiff organizations **Greenpeace Argentina**, **Fundación Patagonia Natural**, and the **Asociación Argentina de Abogados/as Ambientalistas** (AAdeAA).
In an unprecedented vote, Dr. **Carlos Richieri** even stated that the aggravated damage committed by La Regina constitutes an “**ecocide**,” sharing the stance of the environmental plaintiff organizations.
The court sentenced the accused to three years of suspended prison and imposed strict rules of conduct. Among these, the following stand out:
– The **prohibition of driving** large vehicles in ecosystem-sensitive areas.
– The obligation to collaborate in environmental restoration tasks at the La Perla ranch, where the events took place.
– The prohibition of carrying out works without authorization and environmental impact reports approved by provincial authorities.
Additionally, as requested by the organizations forming the plaintiff, the court ordered the **confiscation of the backhoe** used in the crimes. By majority decision, the judges determined that La Regina must also **cover the costs of the trial**.
## Precautionary Measures
The ruling also includes **significant precautionary measures**. The Provincial Government must intervene immediately to ensure the protection of environmental assets in the affected area. Within a **maximum period of 60 days**, authorities must define and implement concrete actions for the recovery and custody of the ecosystem, reporting periodically to the court for the next three years.
## The Punta Tombo Massacre
By driving heavy machinery through the area, **[140 penguin nests were crushed](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/el-caso-de-la-masacre-de-los-pinguinos-de-punta-tombo-ira-a-juicio-oral/)** – approximately three penguins are found per nest, in an area with a high density of chicks that will have offspring from Magallanes to the reserve – and **another hundred were electrocuted** in the reserve.
The events also resulted in the **death of 292 chicks** and eggs of the species and the loss of 2000 square meters of native vegetation in the provincial natural reserve.
The Prosecutor’s Office explained at the time that this occurred in a field adjacent to Punta Tombo, **next to the reserve**.
The Attorney General of Rawson, in charge of the investigation, **Florencia Gómez**, ordered a raid to verify the incident in less than two hours. The team included mounted police, forensics, investigators, Rawson police station, Ministry personnel, park rangers, biologists, and CENPAT members.
Nearly three years later, they achieved something historic: the first **public and oral trial** in Argentina for aggravated environmental damage and animal cruelty. Additionally, La Regina faces a sentence of up to **4 years of effective imprisonment**.
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