Lima, Peru — A new scandal has rocked Peru’s Congress amid growing public discontent with the legislature, which ended 2024 with an approval rating of just 8%. Over the past weeks, allegations of a prostitution ring within Congress have emerged, prompting a preliminary investigation.
The murder of Andrea Vidal, a former parliamentary advisor who was gunned down by hitmen near her home in december, has uncovered the existence of an alleged prostitution ring. Jorge Torres, the former head of Congress’s Legal and Constitutional Office, is suspected of being one of the leaders of the ring.
What is this new scandal about, and who is allegedly involved?
The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Human Trafficking has opened a preliminary investigation against Torres for the alleged crime of sexual exploitation of unidentified women.
According to a report aired on Beto a Saber, a program on Willax Televisión, the alleged prostitution ring was led by Torres, known by the alias “Coqui.” Torres is a member of the Alianza para el Progreso (Alliance for Progress) party and a trusted ally of César Acuña, the party leader and former presidential candidate.
The report includes testimony from a former congressional employee who stated that Torres hired inexperienced women to fill several positions. However, these women were allegedly being recruited for sexual purposes.
The report also implicates Andrea Vidal as a supposed accomplice of Torres. Vidal was allegedly responsible for recruiting women to work as advisors or secretaries. The 28-year-old reportedly secured her own position as a legal advisor through a recommendation from former congressman Luis Valdés.
The report suggests that Vidal may have been targeted in the attack because, three months earlier, she was dismissed from her role following a dispute with Torres. It is suspected that she was silenced due to her knowledge of incriminating information about Torres’s criminal activities within Congress.
On December 13, 2024, just three days after the attack, Congress President Eduardo Salhuana signed Torres’s dismissal.
Ongoing investigations
In addition to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Human Trafficking investigation, Congress’ Oversight Committee is conducting inquiries, led by Congressman Juan Burgos. The committee has requested security camera footage from the Legislative Palace.
“In the Oversight Committee, we are investigating four women who may be implicated in these allegations. We’ve requested video surveillance footage to verify their movements within Congress. (…) We have also reviewed their social media profiles and found videos from one of the women under investigation that are inappropriate for minors,” Burgos told RPP Noticias.
The Beto a Saber program also revealed that in 2020, a woman accused Torres of sexual assault during former congressman Luis Valdés’ campaign. The victim alleged she was drugged and assaulted. An audio recording aired during the program appears to show Torres admitting to the accusation and offering compensation.
To date, Peru’s Public Ministry has not issued an official statement on the formalization of an investigation into the alleged prostitution ring. Similarly, the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations has remained silent on the matter.
