A Technical-Investigative Analysis of Criminal Responsibility, Mental Health, and International Judicial Cooperation
The case of the poisoning of minors in Colombia through the ingestion of raspberries contaminated with thallium has quickly transcended the domestic criminal sphere to become a matter of international concern. The gravity of the events, the nature of the toxic agent used, and the subsequent departure from the country of the main suspect have necessitated a much broader legal and forensic analysis, one that integrates criminal law, forensic psychiatry, and international judicial cooperation.
In December 2025, the thallium poisoning case culminated in the location of the main suspect, Zulma Guzmán Castro, who was rescued from the River Thames in London after months on the run. The crime occurred in April 2025 in Bogotá, where two minors died after ingesting strawberries (raspberries) contaminated with this toxic metal, allegedly sent by Guzmán as personal retaliation against the father of one of the victims; the woman is currently in British custody awaiting an extradition process requested by the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación) to face charges of aggravated homicide.
