On 11 February 2020, Fátima Cecilia, a seven-year-old girl, disappeared, and four days later, on 15 February, was found dead in a garbage bag in a vacant lot in Tláhuac, Mexico City, Mexico with signs of physical violence and sexual abuse.[1][2] The murder of Fátima has caused commotion in Mexico.[3]
Events
editDisappearance
editFátima Cecilia Aldrighetti Anton [4] (8 January 2013 – 15 February 2020) was in the first year of primary school at the Enrique C. Rébsamen School in Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico. On 11 February, Fátima's mother was late to pick her up after school, and Fátima was left unsupervised on a sidewalk outside of the school.[5][6] Fátima was last seen on video surveillance being picked up by a woman wearing a striped sweater and skirt and taken along Ignacio Zaragoza Street in the Santiago Tulyehualco neighborhood.[7]
The next day, her family reported Fátima missing to the Deconcentrated Prosecutor's Office of Tláhuac. They were channeled to FIPEDE in Azcapotzalo, where the investigation was started and an Amber alert was issued.[7]
On 15 February, the Preventive Staff of the Ministry of Public Safety found the body of the girl. It was located in a plastic bag and showed signs of physical violence and sexual abuse.[8] From that moment on, a criminal investigation with the aggravating charge of femicide began.[7]
Autopsy
editOn 19 February, the General Attorney of Mexico City, Ernestina Godoy Ramos, told the press that the child had been tortured and raped after an autopsy performed by the Institute of Forensic Sciences (Incifo).[9][10]
Capture of suspects
editOn the night of 19 February 2020, the alleged kidnappers and murderers of Fátima, Mario Reyes and Giovana Cruz,[11] who were in the Isidro Fabela municipality of the State of Mexico, were arrested.[12] Three people alerted elements of the National Guard who knew where the people they were looking for were, because photographs had been disseminated through the media so that the population could participate in the identification of the alleged perpetrators.[13]
Reactions
editDuring the session on 18 February, the Chamber of Deputies kept a minute of silence for the death of Fátima.[14][15] That day the Chamber of Deputies approved an increase in penalties for feminicide after the murder of Fátima Cecilia; in the case of sexual abuse of minors, the sentence of 10 years in prison increased to 18 years.[16]
Social groups against gender violence called for a national women's strike on 9 March 2020 under the slogan "¡El nueve ninguna se mueve!" ("On the ninth [day] no one [woman] moves!").[17] The groups also protest the increase of feminicides in the country per year. In 2020, it is estimated that 10 women are killed every day in Mexico;[18] by 23 February, 265 women had been killed in Mexico.[19] In 2019, 1009 feminicides were registered in the country, an increase of 10% compared to the 891 cases of 2018.[20][21] A little more than a week before the disappearance of Fátima, the murder of Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old woman, and the dissemination of the photos of her body had also generated a wave of indignation in the country.[20][21][22][23]
References
edit- ^ "Fátima: lo que se sabe del asesinato y tortura de la niña de 7 años cuyo caso conmociona a México" [Fatima: what is known about the murder and torture of the 7-year-old girl whose case shocks Mexico]. BBC Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "El asesinato de una niña de 7 años en México: ¿cuál fue el verdadero móvil del crimen?" [The murder of a 7-year-old girl in Mexico: what was the real motive for crime?]. RPP (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ Salinas, Carlos (21 February 2020). "Las contradicciones, la burocracia y las prisas envuelven la detención de los presuntos asesinos de la niña Fátima" [The contradictions, bureaucracy and haste involve the arrest of the alleged murderers of the Fátima girl]. El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ https://www.larazon.es/internacional/20200223/jszuiyk4rjdglgbto3jufy6hyi.html (Spanish)
- ^ Morales, Gretel (17 February 2020). "Fátima, a 7-year-old girl, was abducted and murdered in Mexico City". El Universal. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "Mexico arrests suspects in the killing of seven-year-old girl". Al Jazeera. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ a b c "Cronología: De la desaparición al hallazgo de Fátima" [Chronology: From the disappearance to the finding of Fatima]. Excélsior (in Spanish). 18 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Fiscalía confirma que Fátima sufrió abuso sexual y golpes" [Prosecutor confirms that Fátima suffered sexual abuse and beatings] (in Spanish). CNN en Español. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ Gallón, Natalie; Picheta, Rob. "Murder of 7-year-old girl in Mexico fuels anger and protests over brutal killings". CNN. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Fiscalía confirma que la niña Fátima fue víctima de abuso sexual" [Prosecutor confirms that the Fátima girl was a victim of sexual abuse]. La República (in Spanish). 19 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ https://www.larazon.es/internacional/20200223/jszuiyk4rjdglgbto3jufy6hyi.html (Spanish)
- ^ Rodríguez, Xóchitl (20 February 2020). "Caso Fátima: cronología del feminicidio infantil que conmovió a México" [Fátima case: chronology of child feminicide that moved Mexico]. La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Atrapados; dos ligados al asesinato de Fátima, fueron detenidos en el Edomex" [Caught up; two linked to the murder of Fatima, were arrested in the Edomex]. Excélsior (in Spanish). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Entierran a la pequeña Fátima en medio de reclamos a las autoridades y gritos de "justicia"" [Buried little Fatima amid complaints to the authorities and cries of "justice"]. Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Ramírez, Rafael. "Diputados guardan un minuto de silencio por Fátima" [Deputies keep a minute of silence for Fatima]. El Sol de Puebla (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Tras el asesinato de Fátima, la Cámara Diputados de México aprueba aumento de penas por feminicidio y abuso sexual" [After the murder of Fatima, the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico approves increased penalties for feminicide and sexual abuse]. El Universo (in Spanish). 19 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ ""¡El nueve nadie se mueve!": mujeres convocan a un paro nacional" ["On the nine nobody moves!": Women call for a national strike]. ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Reina, Elena (19 February 2020). "La tortura y asesinato de una niña de siete años disparan la ira en México por la violencia de género" [The torture and murder of a seven-year-old girl triggers anger in Mexico for gender-based violence]. El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Medina Castro, Mario (23 February 2020). "OPINIÓN: Fátima y el feminicidio en México" [OPINION: Fátima and feminicide in Mexico]. Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Ingrid Escamilla: El caso del brutal asesinato de una joven de 25 años que conmociona a México" [Ingrid Escamilla: The case of the brutal murder of a 25-year-old girl who shocks Mexico]. RPP (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ a b "La revictimización a Ingrid Escamilla y el desangre feminicida concentran la furia en México" [The revictimization to Ingrid Escamilla and the feminicidal bleeding concentrate the fury in Mexico]. France 24 (in Spanish). 17 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "La indignación en México por el brutal asesinato de Ingrid Escamilla y la difusión de las fotos de su cadáver" [Indignation in Mexico over the brutal murder of Ingrid Escamilla and the dissemination of photos of his body]. BBC Mundo (in Spanish). 11 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Lima, Lioman (16 February 2020). "Por qué el feminicidio de Ingrid Escamilla ha provocado protestas en México" [Why Ingrid Escamilla's femicide has provoked protests in Mexico]. BBC Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2020.