SANTIAGO – Femicide, the most extreme form of violence against women. A crime that also in Chile continues to occur. Today, on International Women´s Day, Chile Today looks back at the ten cases of femicide of 2019.
The Ministry of Women and Gender Equality in Chile is registering all national cases of femicide. Femicide, defined as “the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender”, is a problem that gets highlighted especially on March 8, the International Women´s Day. As of now, there are ten cases of femicide registered in Chile in 2019.
One case in March
Yesterday, Carolina Alejandra Muñoz Rebolledo (41) was shot dead on the streets of Quintero in the Valparaíso region, by her 60-year-old ex. She had a daughter with her assassin, who shot her in the head and the chest.
Four cases in February
On the 1st of February, 23-year-old Lissette Dayana Riffo Cayupan (23) was stabbed to death by her ex, leaving behind a seven-year-old son. After killing Lissette, the perpetrator turned himself in.
Three days later, on February 4, a particular case of femicide showed that this crime has no age range. Blanca Rosa Sáez Henríquez was 85 years old when she was murdered by her 94-year-old husband in El Bosque, in the Metropolitan region. Her husband committed suicide after killing Blanca.
On February 12, Scarlett Díaz Llaitul was found dead on the banks of the Contaco River in the Los Lagos region. Scarlett was only 19 years old. Her boyfriend was arrested after the discovery of her body.
Another case of femicide in the Los Lagos region. After separating from her husband, Mónica del Carmen Paillacán (48) was killed by the same man, who got arrested later.
Chile and femicide: is 2019 going to set a tragic record?
Five cases in January
2019 took off with a case of femicide in Puerto Montt. María Edith Barría Mansilla (56) was stabbed to death by her husband, who fled the crime scene and committed suicide in his house later.
One day later, another case of femicide occurred. Mother-of-three Sandra Pozo Rivas was also stabbed to death, by her partner in Rancagua. He turned himself in immediately and confessed he killed the 49-year-old woman.
The third case of femicide, on the 5th day of the new year. On January 5, Laura Gálvez Videla (47) was murdered in Los Andes by her partner, who killed himself after killing the woman.
Sajuste Deliseanne (29) was a Haitian migrant who came to Chile looking for a better future. On January 8, she got attacked by an ex with a knife on the streets of El Quisco and died in the hospital, leaving behind a five-month-old daughter.
In Osorno, on January 14, 38-year-old Rosa Cañulef Paillamanque was the fifth woman to get killed by her partner in 2019, and just as the other victims of 2019, she got stabbed to death. The perpetrator turned himself in after the killing.
Piñera launches law against femicide: “These are no isolated cases”
Editor-In-Chief Boris van der Spek is the founder of Chile Today.