The case of a married father and divorcee arrested for allegedly having sex on a business class flight has been dismissed.
Mauricio C, 54, and Sandra O, 59, were seated in the front rows of business class and reportedly used a blanket to cover themselves during the suspected lewd act.
The incident occurred in early May on board a Copa Airlines flight from Panama to Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina.
Cabin crew are said to have found the pair partially undressed after a woman traveling with her granddaughter alerted a flight attendant when the child noticed movement under the cover.
The captain was informed and requested the airport police, who arrested and took into custody the architect and the care home manager. They were never formally charged.
The pair reportedly had not met before the flight and only got to know each other during the trip.
Sandra claims the cabin crew made up the allegations after an argument over a glass of whisky.
Prosecutors ultimately dropped the case because they could not prove that the couple acted with the deliberate intent to expose themselves or offend public morals.
Mauricio C, 54, (pictured) and Sandra O, 59, had their case dismissed after they allegedly had sex on a business class flight
Sandra (pictured) claims the cabin crew made up the allegations after an argument over a glass of whisky
The captain was informed by the cabin crew of the suspected lewd acts and requested the airport police, who arrested and took into custody the architect and the care home manager.
During a three-month investigation under Argentina’s public indecency law, prosecutors collected statements from passengers and crew members, PSA reports and photos of the plane’s interior.
A woman sitting behind them said that while she saw the couple talking and kissing, she did not see any explicit sexual acts.
While another passenger statement stated that an individual confronted Mauricio after allegedly noticing exposed genitals.
There was no CCTV footage in the business class cabin, leaving no footage of the alleged encounter.
Sandra’s defense claimed the incident was fabricated in retaliation after a heated argument with a flight attendant over a glass of whiskey during mid-flight turbulence.
Prosecutor María Cecilia Marcolin Loberse, of Rosario’s specialized unit for gender violence and sexual crimes, officially dismissed the investigation.
Her ruling determined that the conduct did not meet the legal threshold for criminal obscenity.
Under Argentine law, being seen by third parties in a shared space is insufficient to result in a conviction; the statute strictly requires a proven, deliberate intent to expose oneself or insult the modesty of others.
The prosecutor clarified that the dismissal does not mean that the alleged acts never occurred, but that the evidence collected could not substantiate a criminal offense. The file is now permanently archived.
Mauricio, architect and railway construction manager, is married and has three children.
His family was waiting at the terminal to pick him up when officers led him away.
Sandra, who is divorced and also lives in central Rosario, reportedly runs a day center and an elderly care facility.
