A serious allegation of gender-based violence has emerged on social media, shared by Marisol Peña Cobas, who revealed that her niece was assaulted in Camagüey. According to the account posted this Tuesday on Facebook, the attacker, identified as her niece’s ex-partner, left the young woman with injuries, while the police decided to close the case without taking any action against the perpetrator.
"This is how battered my niece was left by her aggressor," Peña Cobas wrote, pointing out that the head of the first police unit in Camagüey expelled her niece, her son, and her sister from the police station where they had sought refuge, informing them that the case was closed.
Peña expressed her outrage not only at the police's inaction but also at the Cuban dictatorship, accusing it of being complicit in the femicides occurring in the country. She argued that this lack of response is why so many women are killed by their partners.
In a previous post, Peña shared a video where her niece explained that the attacker had been caught; however, she denounced that the police only imposed a fine of 500 pesos and a restraining order, which she was forced to sign. She emphasized her disagreement with this measure, as she did not feel protected from the attacker, who would only be imprisoned if he stabbed a family member. Moreover, she denounced that the police, unable to protect the young woman in her home, decided to keep her and her son at the PNR unit as a security measure, where they lived in inhumane conditions before being expelled after the case was closed: "They haven't gone after the attacker."
In another video, Peña explained that her niece's ex-partner attacked her niece with a sharp weapon and highlighted the regime's inaction in capturing the aggressor. This incident exposes the alarming situation of gender-based violence in Cuba and the lack of effective measures by the authorities in these cases.
Last August, feminist platforms raised the number of femicides this year to 34 after verifying the deaths of Saimy Hernández in Mayabeque province and Linda Nay Flores Vargas, whose body was found in a landfill in Havana. Saimy Hernández, around 40 years old and a mother of several children, was killed by her partner on August 13 in a public space in the town of Güines, Mayabeque. In the case of Linda Nay Flores Vargas, 34 years old, her body was discovered in a Havana landfill on July 12.
However, the number will rise even further as just a few days ago, young Cuban Arianni Céspedes (born January 7, 1989) was murdered in her home in the Alejo neighborhood, Aguacate town, Palma Soriano municipality, Santiago de Cuba. Sources close to the victim have informed CiberCuba that she was stabbed in her home by her ex-partner.
Recently, the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) had to acknowledge that nearly 10,000 families and more than 16,000 women and girls are living in situations of violence in the country. In statements to the official newspaper Granma, Teresa Amarelle Boué, the FMC's general secretary, made this assertion while identifying 9,579 families under such circumstances and mentioned that they seek to strengthen mechanisms for attention and case detection.
Understanding Gender-Based Violence in Cuba
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the situation of gender-based violence in Cuba, based on the recent incidents and reports.
What actions did the police take in the case of Marisol Peña Cobas' niece?
The police decided to close the case without taking any action against the aggressor, despite the injuries sustained by Peña Cobas' niece. They also expelled her, her son, and her sister from the police station where they had sought refuge.
How has the Cuban government responded to reports of femicides?
The Cuban government, through the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), has acknowledged that about 10,000 families and more than 16,000 women and girls are living in situations of violence. They have stated their intent to strengthen mechanisms for attention and case detection, but there is widespread criticism over the lack of effective protective measures.
What recent femicide cases have been reported in Cuba?
Recent cases include the deaths of Saimy Hernández in Mayabeque, Linda Nay Flores Vargas in Havana, and Arianni Céspedes in Santiago de Cuba, all of whom were killed by their partners or ex-partners.