Congress and Prosecutor’s Office in Peru investigate complaints about a prostitution network in the Legislature

The president of the Peruvian Congress announced on Friday that he ordered a reorganization and investigations into a complaint about a prostitution ring that would have been made up of former employees of the entity, including a recently murdered young woman.

The case is being investigated by the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office and a parliamentary commission.

The Prosecutor’s Office reported the day before that it opened an investigation into this case. He specified that the process was initiated against former parliamentary official Jorge Torres Saravia, for the alleged crime of sexual exploitation. He is accused of being the head of the alleged network.

The case broke out a week ago after a television channel showed testimonies from alleged former Congressional workers who claimed that Torres, then director of the legal and constitutional office of that entity – an administrative position – led an organization that requested sexual services in exchange for a job in the entity.

One of the victims would have been Andrea Vidal, a 27-year-old lawyer, shot while riding in a taxi a few days before.

Vidal, who had recently been fired, was shot by a hitman on December 10 and died a week later.

On December 13, after the complaint on television, Torres was removed from his position.

Eduardo Salhuana, president of the Legislature, said on Friday at a press conference that the legal and constitutional leadership of Congress will be “reorganized,” that “drastic changes” will be made in that and other areas and that he has requested that administrative investigations in the entity do not exceed 30 days.

“We are going to impose the appropriate sanctions,” he added.

The president of the Congressional Oversight Commission, Juan Burgos, said on Thursday that the network would have operated to obtain votes from legislators in exchange for sexual services.

“I would understand that it would be about involving these sexual favors to double the votes in Congress. I would go that way. I don’t think there was any money, but perhaps (it was sought) to favor changing the vote,” he said.

Torres came to Congress as an advisor to one of the most relevant figures of the Alliance for Progress (APP) party, considered an ally of President Dina Boluarte, and of which Salhuana is also a member.

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