Woman receives suspended jail sentence after kiss with wife

A kiss between a woman and her wife 20 months ago at Buenos Aires’ Constitución train station was the subject of controversy in Argentina this weekend, after a court found the woman guilt of causing injury and resisting arrest.

Mariana Gómez received a suspended sentence of one year in jail on Friday, the same day over 60 countries commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. The prosecution had asked for two years.

Gómez and her wife Rocío Girat were kissing and smoking inside the Constitución train station when officers approached them on October 2, 2017. Her defence argued the officers had targeted and harassed the women because of their sexuality.

"That day, I defended myself against a violent and discriminatory incident by the City Police", Gómez told Judge Marta Yungano of City Criminal Court 26 (TOC 26).

The ruling comes after four hearings into the matter. The justification of the judge's decision will be released on July 5.

The incident involving Gómez is a confusing one, which began with a kiss and a cigarette and ended with the young woman in handcuffs.

Gómez and Girat were standing at the entrance of the station where they were talking, kissing and smoking. They allege there were no "no smoking" signs in the vicinity of where they were standing.

Gómez and her defence team allege the police's behaviour was arbitrary and discriminatory.

One of the officers allegedly referred to Gómez as a "pibe", a colloquial expression in Argentine Spanish for "boy" or "kid".

"You're going to be arrested, pibe", he alleged told her.

Gómez told the courts she was abused as a child but never received help from the Judiciary. It was only now, she said, that the courts were listening to her, this time as a defendant.

-TIMES/PERFIL