Family prosecutors in Lima are investigating two cases of sexual violence against children at the municipal shelter La Casa de los Petisos, where senior managers and staff kept their positions and campaigned for office despite failing to report the abuse to legal authorities.
The municipal shelter operated under Human Development Manager Isabel Ayala Melgarejo and Welfare and Social Promotion Sub-Manager Rosa Torrejón Aragón, who are both running for district mayoralties under the conservative Renovación Popular party. Caregiver Adolfo Fuentes Bernal, who worked directly with children at the shelter, simultaneously served as campaign master of ceremonies for former Lima Mayor and presidential candidate Rafael López Aliaga.
The investigation by Lima Family Prosecutor Lourdes Morales Benavente began after an anonymous report reached the Warmi Ñan program of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations. The report disclosed that an older internal resident had sexually abused two younger children inside the facility, an event that neither shelter caregivers nor municipal administrators reported to law enforcement.
Prosecutor Morales formally interrogated Fuentes on November 24, 2025, regarding allegations involving a 12-year-old victim, identified as C.C.U.C., and a 14-year-old resident, identified as J.M.B.R. During the questioning, Fuentes acknowledged that he knew of the abuse through administrative communications and an internal report by the psychology department, but he claimed the incidents did not take place during his working shift.
La Casa de los Petisos is a municipal facility operated by the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima to provide care and protection for abandoned children. According to prosecutorial files, neither Ayala nor Torrejón notified prosecutors when the initial sexual assault allegations surfaced within the shelter under their management.
Internal Confirmation and Staff Movements
Municipal records indicate that city officials were informed of the sexual abuse months before prosecutor Morales questioned shelter staff. On August 1, 2025, while López Aliaga was serving as Mayor of Lima, a verification team from the Warmi Ñan program visited the shelter to inspect conditions.
The visiting team, consisting of psychologist Mavel Tirso Pozo and attorney Karla Solis, interviewed individuals at the facility and confirmed that sexual violence had occurred. Andersson Alfaro Espichán, then head of the Comprehensive Care Centers Area overseeing the shelter, also corroborated the abuse claims.
Following confirmation of sexual assault inside a municipal facility meant to protect vulnerable minors, the Human Development Management took only one administrative step. Officials removed Alfaro Espichán from his position as head of the Comprehensive Care Centers Area.
Shelter caregivers, including Fuentes, remained in their roles with direct access to minors. Managers Ayala and Torrejón also retained their leadership posts while securing nominations for the 2026 regional and municipal elections with Renovación Popular, with Ayala running for mayor of Rímac and Torrejón seeking office in Lurín.
While maintaining his municipal job as a child caregiver, Fuentes regularly hosted campaign rallies for López Aliaga, acting as the main stage presenter during public political events.
Second Sexual Assault Incident
A second case of sexual abuse occurred at La Casa de los Petisos while prosecutor Morales was actively interrogating witnesses about the first incident. On June 10, 2026, thirteen months after the initial case, then shelter administrator Bernardo Vásquez Chicoma went to the Monserrate police station with a minor to report a new attack.
A minor identified as J.A.Q.D. informed police officers that a rape occurred on May 22, 2026. The victim identified the perpetrator as J.A.A.M., the same resident implicated in the previous sexual abuse investigation.
The incident was brought to police attention 19 days after it took place inside the municipal shelter. Throughout this period, Ayala and Torrejón continued overseeing human development and social welfare for the municipality, while Fuentes continued working at the shelter and presenting campaign events for López Aliaga.
Legal Actions and Managerial Responses
More than a year after the first reported sexual assault, former administrator Vásquez Chicoma is the only person facing legal proceedings. He is named as a defendant for contravention of child and adolescent rights, specifically for omissions that infringed upon legal protections for minors.
When contacted by La República, Ayala denied responsibility for the events at La Casa de los Petisos, stating that other municipal employees were responsible for shelter administration. She said she was not in charge of the shelters and noted that specific officials handled those duties.
Ayala added that she was not subject to any formal complaint, was not part of an investigation, and was not named anywhere in prosecutorial documents.
According to official records on the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima web portal, La Casa de los Petisos falls directly under the Sub-Management of Welfare and Social Promotion headed by Torrejón, which operates under the Management of Human Development led by Ayala.
Reporters from La República attempted to obtain statements from Torrejón and Fuentes regarding the abuse allegations and their political activities, but neither responded to inquiries.
Municipal Defense and Campaign Stand
Raúl Fernández Olivares, head of the General Office of Legal Affairs at the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, denied that city officials were shielding anyone connected to the shelter investigation. He said the municipality was providing full cooperation and facilities to prosecutor Morales.
Addressing the dual role of Fuentes as a municipal caregiver and campaign speaker, Fernández Olivares stated that López Aliaga managed extensive duties and would not pay attention to a campaign master of ceremonies. The legal director placed primary responsibility for any failure to report on Fuentes.
The municipal shelter scandal comes as Peru prepares for the 2026 regional and municipal elections, with political parties preparing for potential runoff elections across 14 regions in November.
