Authorities in the Colombia city of Cucuta say they know the identity of the person who ordered an acid attack on beauty queen contestant Maria Fernanda Nuñez, but that they are unable to order the person’s arrest.
According to Cucuta’s police commander Colonel Jorge Ivan Florez, the authorities are aware of the person’s identity, but are unable to detain them due to the nature of Nuñez’s injury.
Florez explained that, according to Colombian law, an attack suspect can only be arrested if the victim spends over thirty days in recovery. Although Nuñez suffered burns to the face and body, she was given just twenty days official recovery time by her doctor.
Police have confirmed that the person who ordered the attack was not the same person that physically carried out the acid attack.
Nuñez, a beauty pageant contestant and Miss Colombia hopeful, was attacked by an unknown assailant two weeks ago. The 22-year-old had hydrochloric acid thrown at her face and suffered burns to the nose, lips, cheek, chest and right eye’s cornea.
Last Friday several Cucuta residents took to the city’s streets in protest of the assault and two Miss Colombia candidates from the department withdrew their participation in the contest.