Accused Pinochet agent turned Bondi nanny Adriana Rivas to be extradited to Chile

Adriana Rivas, now in her 70s, is accused of participating in the disappearances of seven people while working for Augusto Pinochet’s secret police force in 1976. Photograph: Adriana Rivas/Facebook View image in fullscreen Adriana Rivas, now in her 70s, is accused of participating in the disappearances of seven people while working for Augusto Pinochet’s secret police force in 1976. Photograph: Adriana Rivas/Facebook Accused Pinochet agent turned Bondi nanny Adriana Rivas to be extradited to Chile Woman denies allegations of aggravated kidnapping during Augusto Pinochet’s 1970s military dictatorship Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A former Sydney nanny and cleaner accused by Chile of being a torturer and kidnapper for Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in the 1970s will be extradited to Chile to face court over kidnapping allegations after losing her seven-year battle to remain in Australia. Adriana Elcira Rivas, now in her 70s, is accused of participating in the disappearances of seven people in 1976 – including a woman who was five months pregnant – while working for Pinochet’s secret police force. Rivas emigrated to Australia in 1978 and worked as a nanny in Bondi before she was arrested by New South Wales police in 2019 at the request of the Chilean government. She has been in custody for seven years as she resisted attempts to extradite her to the South American nation to face trial for seven counts of aggravated kidnapping. She denies the allegations and has argued that her extradition to Chile should be blocked because it would result in her being tried for crimes against humanity. But the argument that the offences had been mischaracterised was “misconceived”, Justice Michael Lee told the federal court in Sydney on Tuesday. “The materials do not suggest the offence for which extradition is sought is anything other than the offences identified throughout the request … namely aggravated kidnapping,” he said. Rivas’s contention that the government failed to consider the time limit for prosecuting the kidnapping offences had expired was similarly flawed, the judge determined. “The applicant has failed to demonstrate that the minister’s decision was affected by jurisdictional error,” Lee said. While Justice Lee’s decision clears the path for Rivas’s extradition to Chile, she has the option to lodge an appeal with the full federal court. The ambassador and consul general of Chile sat in the public gallery as the decision was handed down. Tens of thousands of Chileans came to Australia after the dictator violently overthrew the nation’s elected socialist government in a 1973 coup. About 40,000 people were killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons before the end of his reign in 1990. Rivas is accused of playing a role in a national intelligence directorate brigade that physically and psychologically tortured members of the Communist party who opposed Pinochet’s regime. Families of Chileans who vanished or were killed during Pinochet’s rule had attended court during the two-day hearing, but were not able to be present for the decision. Their lawyer, Adriana Navarro, said the families were “truly, truly delighted” to have an outcome 15 years after Rivas allegedly fled to Australia to avoid charges. Explore more on these topics Sydney Chile Augusto Pinochet Australian law news Share Reuse this content