Five possible femicides in Puerto Rico over one weekend alarm Taller Salud
Five women died in San Juan, Mayagüez, Guaynabo, Yabucoa and Ponce between Thursday and Sunday. Taller Salud demands strengthening prevention against gender violence.
Five violent deaths of women in four days shake Puerto Rico
Five possible murders of women were recorded in Puerto Rico between Thursday and Sunday, according to a report by elnuevodia.com. The cases, which occurred in San Juan, Mayagüez, Guaynabo, Yabucoa and Ponce, triggered an alert from the feminist organisation Taller Salud, which on Monday demanded urgent measures to strengthen prevention and protection against gender violence.
Tania Rosario Méndez, executive director of Taller Salud—an organisation with nearly half a century of experience—warned that the incidents occur just weeks before the festive season, a period in which spikes in sexist violence have historically been recorded.
"Each one of these deaths represents a life taken and a family and community deeply affected. But it also reveals the lack of action by the system to prevent this situation that does not pause. We cannot normalise violence or wait for a tragedy to occur before acting," Rosario Méndez emphasised.
The cases
Thursday night, police found the decomposed body of a woman inside a residence in the Colinas Metropolitanas development in Guaynabo. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the death.
Between Friday and Saturday, two members of the LGBTQ+ community were murdered in Mayagüez and Santurce. In Santurce, authorities identified the victim as Ernesto "Pupy" Hernández López, 43 years old. The LGBTQ+ Federation confirmed that in both cases the protocol was activated to investigate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, including a possible hate motive and the possibility that gender violence was involved.
In the early hours of Sunday, police found the shot body of Yaneris Crespo Vázquez, 36 years old, on road 908 in Yabucoa. That same evening, Jazmine Rivera Roca, 47 years old, was murdered in Ponce by her ex-partner Rey Luis Torres Roche, 39 years old, who subsequently took his own life.
"It is not a private matter"
Rosario Méndez insisted that gender violence is not the sole responsibility of those who face it. "Prevention also begins in our families, communities and everyday spaces," she noted.
Taller Salud urged relatives, friends and communities to pay attention to warning signs such as threats, controlling behaviours, isolation, intimidation, harassment and physical or emotional aggression. The organisation also called on people to offer support without judgement, respect the decisions of survivors and facilitate access to specialised resources.
"There are available resources and seeking help in time can make the difference. It is imperative to strengthen prevention and protection mechanisms, and ensure that women and people in at-risk situations have timely access to the services they need," the director emphasised.
Figures for the year
The Puerto Rico Police have reported 32 women murdered so far this year. Of that total, 10 have been confirmed as intimate femicides—perpetrated by the victim's partner or ex-partner.
Through its Tu Paz Cuenta programme, Taller Salud maintains a support line available seven days a week at 787-697-1120, to advise women facing situations of violence.
Source: Google News PR — Crime