Felippo Melodia and Franco Villala's Abduction

The 12 defendants had kidnapped Franco Villala and then raped her multiple times. The prosecution conceded that under Section 544 of the criminal code, these actions would cease to be crimes in relation to all defendants, if and when Franco Villala married Felippo Melodia. However, given Franco's continued refusal to do so, which was her right, the fact of the crimes remained. No one in the community was willing to testify on behalf of the Villala family. Finally, Franco Villala sat in the witness box. She denied that the full Itena had been pre-planned between them,. maintaining that none of what she had endured was consensual.