Mexican judge arrested for sexual harassment

Mexico City, Feb 6 (IANS/EFE) A judge here was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing female subordinates at his office and demanding bottles of wine from workers in exchange for authorising their overtime payments and days off, authorities said.

Mexico City’s Superior Tribunal of Justice said in a communique that Judge Alfredo Reyes Flores will now stand trial for abuse of authority.

According to Mexico City’s highest court, the judge spent time in his office engrossed in pornography websites, “especially child porn”, and “came to work with his breath reeking of alcohol, even drinking alcoholic beverages at court”.

He added that the irregularities were detected during a surprise “inspection of the institution to check on how well (the 33rd District Court) was functioning”.

Finally, the Mexico City high court said that Reyes Flores was arrested and jailed, and that he faces trial on the criminal charge of abuse of authority.

In addition, “an itemised report will be made of other possible examples of his illicit conduct, such as looking at pornography during office hours on the computer assigned to him by” the Superior Tribunal of Justice, a source said.

This is the first case in Mexico in which a judge stands accused of sexual harassment and abuse of authority against his subordinates, according to sources at that court.

–IANS/EFE