The alleged case of child abuse in the Chicó Navarra neighborhood—which began circulating on social media on the afternoon of Sunday, June 14—has been ruled out by authorities following the results of official medical examinations and the account given by the 7-year-old boy himself.
Accordingly, the defense team for the foreign national, identified as Grant Gail, announced plans to pursue criminal action against those who made “false accusations” as well as “everyone who irresponsibly spread that information.”
Attorney Fabio Humar spoke with various media outlets and answered key questions regarding the case, which had raised alarms in Bogotá’s Usaquén district. It is worth noting that when the community initially alerted authorities, the accused man was detained and an investigation was opened.
Hours later, he was released after evidence revealed a different version of events and ruled out the alleged abuse of the 7-year-old boy.
The man had been detained the previous Sunday after passersby alerted the police, claiming he was abusing a child on an apartment balcony in plain view of everyone; this caused a crowd to gather at the scene to protect the boy while awaiting the arrival of authorities.
However, according to official accounts, the boy explained that he had become furious over an issue involving a toy, and the adult had taken him outside the apartment in an effort to “help him calm down.”
