Mother's Murder in Spain Shocks Local Community

A woman of Cuban origin was murdered by her partner, a 62-year-old Spanish man, in the town of Antequera, located in the Andalusian province of Málaga, Spain. The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was 50 years old and mother to a minor, though it is not clear if the child was shared with her aggressor.

The femicide occurred on the night of July 5th after a domestic dispute in which the man suffocated the woman. It was the aggressor himself who raised the alarm upon realizing the woman was unresponsive. He notified a neighbor, who found the victim near a ditch at the back of the house and administered first aid, but the woman was still struggling for life and the neighbor called emergency services at 112.

Medical personnel and National Police officers arrived at the scene but were unable to save the victim. Observing signs of asphyxiation, they activated protocols for suspected violent deaths. The couple had started their relationship in 2010 and lived on a family estate shared with the man's mother and brother. Police are still investigating the exact trigger for the aggression, but it has been confirmed that their cohabitation was troubled.

Community Response and Investigation

Antequera's mayor, Manuel Barón, stated that the woman had expressed a desire to separate from her partner, which might have led to the fatal confrontation. The Antequera City Council organized a protest on Tuesday in front of the town hall to show solidarity with the victim and her family and to condemn this act of gender violence. The visibly shaken mayor commented, “This is the first time such an incident has occurred in Antequera. It’s always shocking to hear about it on TV or the radio, but when it happens in your own town, it hits much harder. This isn’t an anonymous case. It deeply saddens me, and I struggle to understand why a person would go to such extremes, especially against the vulnerable—children, women, and families. No one deserves to die, least of all for reasons like envy or possession.”

Loles López, the Andalusian Minister of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, echoed these sentiments, adding, “Behind each victim is a shattered life and a broken family. This situation becomes increasingly difficult, but we in the Andalusian government are implementing measures to aim for zero violence, even though it is challenging.”

With this incident, the number of women killed by gender violence in Spain rises to 21 in 2024 and 1,265 since the data collection began in 2003. The Spanish Ministry of Equality reminds the public of the availability of the 016 hotline for any reports of violence, as well as online consultations via 016-online@igualdad.gob.es and the WhatsApp number 600 000 016. These services operate 24/7. In emergencies, one can also call 112 or the emergency numbers of the National Police (091) and the Civil Guard (062). The ALERTCOPS app can also be used to send an alert signal to the police with geolocation.

The Spanish Government's delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, has called a meeting next Wednesday with heads of the eight provincial units against gender violence and members of the State Security Forces to specifically analyze the six murders recorded in Andalusia since the beginning of the year, in addition to two minors killed by vicarious violence.