Ex-Nanny Loses Extradition Battle Over Pinochet-Era Crimes

A former Sydney nanny, Adriana Elcira Rivas, aged in her 70s, has lost her seven-year legal battle to avoid extradition to Chile. She is accused of participating in the kidnapping and torture of seven individuals during Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship in the 1970s, including a pregnant woman. Rivas, who emigrated to Australia in 1978, was arrested in 2019 following a request from the Chilean government.

She denied the allegations, arguing that her extradition should be blocked as it would result in her being tried for crimes against humanity and that prosecution time limits had expired. However, the federal court in Sydney dismissed these arguments, stating the extradition request was for aggravated kidnapping. The court found no jurisdictional error in the minister's decision to proceed with extradition.

Chilean officials were present for the decision, while families of victims during Pinochet's rule had attended earlier hearings. Tens of thousands of Chileans sought refuge in Australia after the 1973 coup that overthrew Chile's socialist government. Pinochet's regime, which ended in 1990, resulted in widespread human rights abuses, with an estimated 40,000 people killed, tortured, or imprisoned.