Shocking photos of Argentina's former first lady covered in bruises 'after being assaulted by ex-president' are revealed

Shocking photos show Argentina's former first lady covered in bruises after she was allegedly assaulted by an ex-president. 

The ex-partner of Argentina's former president Alberto Fernandez has accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her, according to a court order.

The allegations shocked the country and threaten to further stain the reputation of the moderate leftist whose government many Argentines blame for deepening an economic crisis.

Fernandez, a left-leaning Peronist politician who was president from 2019 to 2023, vigorously denied her allegations and promised he would prove to the courts 'what really happened'. 

Photographs and chats revealed by the Argentine online newspaper Infobae show Fabiola Yanez, his former partner of at least eight years and the mother of his second child, with a black eye and a bruised arm.

In the chats, she reportedly said: 'You have been hitting me for three days in a row!' 

Local media said that some of the attacks started back in August 2021, with the former first lady documenting the abuse, at one point reportedly texted the president: 'This doesn't work like this, you hit me all the time. It's unusual. I can't let you do this to me when I didn't do anything to you.

'And all I try to do with my mind focused is defend you and you hit me physically. There is no excuse.'

The texts also reportedly reveal the replies sent by Fernandez, including: 'But stop arguing. In the end, we end up fighting over everyone else. Please. Come.'

At this, Yanez responds: 'You're hitting me again. You're crazy.' And Fernandez replies: 'I feel bad.'

Yanez then says: 'You have been hitting me for three days in a row,' to which the former president responds: 'I have trouble breathing. Please stop. I feel very bad.'

Yanez sent the photos to Fernandez, complaining about his violent attitude: 'And when you slapped my arms, you left me with bruises. This is when you slapped me.'

She then sends him a photo of her completely black eye and says, ironically: 'This is when you accidentally hit me.'

In the judicial order, the Buenos Aires federal court opened a criminal investigation into the accusations of 'psychological terrorism', phone harassment and physical abuse against Fernandez from Ms Yanez.

The order said Ms Yanez, who testified by phone from her home in Madrid, has decided to press charges against Fernandez for threatening and 'psychologically intimidating' her daily and causing her 'minor injuries in a context of gender-based violence'.

The document did not give further details about her accusations of physical violence.

Fernandez said in a statement on X/Twitter: 'It's false and what I'm now being accused of never happened.' He declined to say more to the media, citing his family's privacy.

In the ruling, Judge Julian Ercolini granted Yanez a restraining order that prevents the former president from coming within 500 yards of her and from contacting her.

The judge barred Fernandez from travelling outside Argentina, and demanded that he 'cease all forms of intimidation or harassment, both directly and indirectly' toward Ms Yanez. The ruling also asked Argentine authorities to provide Ms Yanez with police protection.

The court order comes weeks after Ms Yanez's accusations first surfaced among thousands of leaked text messages under scrutiny by federal investigators in a separate embezzlement case against Fernandez.

That case accuses Fernandez of irregularities in awarding state insurance contracts - allegations he also denies.

In leaked texts exchanged with Fernandez's former private secretary, Maria Cantero, Ms Yanez recounted episodes of abuse and harassment that occurred when she was pregnant with her now two-year-old son, Francisco.

The court document seen by the Associated Press said Judge Ercolini contacted her about the revelations in June, but Ms Yanez 'did not wish to pursue criminal proceedings'.

But she changed her mind and on Tuesday contacted the Buenos Aires court to press charges against the former president.

Under the Peronist administration of Fernandez and his vice president, the powerful populist former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina descended into its worst economic crisis in two decades with surging inflation and deepening poverty.

Fernandez, a former law professor, chose not to run in Argentina's 2023 election. Public outrage over the country's tumbling fortunes helped propel the radical libertarian President Javier Milei to office.