Fernandez Pedra again rejects lawyer and apologizes to victims’ families

ORANJESTAD — “I want to say again that I am sorry for the families. I never wanted this.” With these words, translated from her statement during the hearing, C. Fernandez Pedra addressed the judge on Friday morning in the January 4, 2026 hit-and-run case, in which two pedestrians lost their lives. During the exchange, the judge confirmed that the substantive hearing would not proceed during this session because of the lack of a lawyer.

PAIN CAUSED

Fernandez Pedra said she is aware of the pain caused by what happened and does not want to minimize the families’ suffering. She also said she finds it difficult to process what happened and put her feelings into words. “I do not want to make excuses,” she stated. “This cannot be compared with the pain the families are going through.” Connection problems interrupted the conversation between the judge and the defendant several times. The judge repeated and summarized parts of her statement to confirm that her message had been understood correctly.

PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT COMPLETED

During the hearing, the judge reported that several new documents had been added to the case file since the previous session. These include an official report describing how the car’s computer was obtained and sent to the Netherlands for examination. The document concerns the chain of custody: the record of how the material was handled and transferred. The psychological report has also been completed. According to the judge, its preparation took longer than expected, but the court has now received it. The report’s contents and conclusions were not discussed in detail during this exchange. Noticiacla previously reported that both the technical investigation into the vehicle’s electronic system and the psychological report were still pending.

REQUEST TO SUSPEND PRETRIAL DETENTION

The judge also confirmed that the court had received a letter signed by Fernandez Pedra, which, according to the document, was prepared by Mr. Moszkowicz in the Netherlands. The letter contains a request to suspend her pretrial detention and a request not to proceed with the substantive hearing during this session. Regarding the latter request, the judge clarified that this was already the situation: the session would not involve a substantive hearing. No decision on the request to suspend detention was announced during the portion of the hearing described here; that came later. (That part is covered in a separate article — Editor.)

DEFENDANT REJECTED LAWYER

A central part of the exchange concerned the lack of effective legal representation. According to the judge, no lawyer was present during the first two hearings. The defendant previously had a lawyer but had terminated that relationship. Subsequently, at her request, another lawyer willing to take on the defense was found.

JUDGE EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION

However, Fernandez Pedra has now indicated that she does not want this lawyer either. The judge emphasized that the lawyer is an experienced criminal law specialist and that her reasons for rejecting the assistance were unclear. “If you do not want the lawyer, that is your decision. Then the ball is in your court,” the judge said, making clear that responsibility for arranging her defense now rests with the defendant.

CASE CANNOT KEEP BEING POSTPONED

The judge stressed that the proceedings cannot continue to be postponed indefinitely over the issue of legal representation. “It is time for this case finally to receive a substantive hearing,” the judge stated, adding that both the defendant and the case itself deserve proper consideration. “I cannot keep waiting indefinitely until a lawyer can be appointed. Make sure you have a lawyer,” was the warning for the next hearing.

PROSECUTOR EXPRESSES ANGER

At one point, the prosecutor addressed the defendant, expressing opposition to further delays. “The families need answers; the public needs answers. There are four journalists here who want answers and need to inform the community. I do not understand what the problem is. We have confirmation that no lawyer in Aruba wants to take your case. No lawyer in Curaçao wants to take your case. So you already have that information. What are you going to do now?” the prosecutor said. The defendant again stated that she has the names of two lawyers, which would be submitted to the court after consultation with her family.

THE CASE

The case concerns the fatal collision on L.G. Smith Boulevard. The Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses Fernandez Pedra of, among other offenses, two counts of homicide, two counts of attempted homicide, leaving the scene of the crash, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a valid license. The charges still have to be assessed by the court. Her expressions of remorse during the hearing do not constitute a verdict or a finding of guilt.