A 21-year-old Spanish student who was on an academic exchange in Mexico was murdered in the state of Morelos (center) in a crime that the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating as femicide, according to local authorities reported this Sunday.
The governor of Morelos, Margarita González Saravia, confirmed the crime and assured that state authorities established contact with the Spanish Consulate in Mexico to provide support and accompaniment to the family of the young woman, who was in the country as part of an academic exchange at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos (UAEM).
The UAEM identified, in a statement, the deceased as Claudia Tacoronte Aguilera, 21 years old, who was on an academic exchange at the Mexican university center from the University of Granada.
They investigate the crime as feminicide
For his part, the prosecutor of Morelos, Fernando Blumenkron, reported that the events occurred on Saturday at the House of Culture of Cuautla, a municipality located about 100 kilometers south of Mexico City.
“Yesterday we found this very unfortunate news about a Spanish girl, who we already know is of this nationality,” the state prosecutor told local media, without offering more details of the circumstances of what happened.
Blumenkron indicated that the crime is initially being investigated as feminicide, in accordance with the protocols applicable to violent deaths of women, while authorities determine if there were gender reasons.
The prosecutor added that contact was immediately established with the Spanish Consulate in Mexico as part of the care protocol to facilitate communication with the victim’s relatives. “This will allow us to have contact with her relatives (…) and we are going to give them all the support,” he stated.
In Mexico, an average of ten women are murdered every day, and a quarter of the crimes are prosecuted as feminicide, according to official and NGO figures.
The University of Granada condemns the murder
The University of Granada has issued a statement in which it shows its rejection and absolute condemnation of Claudia’s murder: “The university community wishes to convey its deepest condolences, solidarity and affection to Claudia’s family, loved ones, colleagues in these moments of such deep pain. As a public institution committed to the transfer of knowledge, the defense of human rights and the construction of critical thinking, the University of Granada reiterates the imperative need to eradicate all forms of violence against women.”
“The Government team of the University of Granada has made itself available to the consular authorities of Spain in Mexico, as well as to the young woman’s family, to provide all the necessary support at this time,” continues the statement, which also calls for a minute of silence in memory of Claudia this Monday, September 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the door of all the work centers of the University of Granada.
