The woman who killed her husband would have acted in self-defense and that of her daughter.
José C. Paz, Buenos Aires — A new case of gender-based violence with a fatal outcome has shaken the community of José C. Paz. A woman was arrested after murdering her husband with a kitchen knife. According to her statement, she acted in self-defense and in defense of her minor daughter, following years of abuse, threats, and forced sexual exploitation.
The woman, whose identity is being withheld to protect her daughter, confessed to the prosecutor’s office that her partner had been subjecting her to extreme violence for years. The trigger for the murder occurred on Saturday night, when, according to her, the man told her, “Tonight it all ends,” implying that he planned to kill her and her children. Fearing for her life and that of her 7-year-old daughter, the woman took a knife and stabbed him in the chest, killing him instantly.
The 39-year-old victim had a long history of complaints of gender-based violence. In total, he had been reported four times by his partner, who never received an effective judicial response. The allegations included physical assault, threats with weapons, and sexual abuse. According to the woman, her husband forced her into prostitution under threat of harming their daughter if she refused.
The case has sparked a strong social and legal response. The defendant’s public defender, Dr. Javier Chirinos, spoke with TPA Noticias and explained:
“We are facing a situation that goes beyond a typical homicide case. This woman lived in a daily hell. The evidence indicates that she acted to protect her life and that of her daughter, after having exhausted all institutional avenues without receiving protection.”
The lawyer also confirmed that they will request the woman’s release while the investigation progresses, arguing that it was a desperate action justified by the context of systematic violence.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor’s office is analyzing the background of the complaints and the psychological tests performed on the defendant, which reportedly confirm severe post-traumatic stress disorder. “This is not a murderer, but a survivor,” Chirinos asserted.
Various feminist groups have expressed their support for the woman, demanding that the authorities apply a gender perspective in their assessment of the case. For many of them, this is not a crime, but rather the last resort of a woman cornered by sexist violence and impunity.
The court has yet to finalize the case. However, the defense will insist that it be treated as self-defense, or even as an exculpatory act based on the state of necessity.
Meanwhile, the woman remains detained at a police station in the northern Buenos Aires metropolitan area, accompanied by her daughter. Both are receiving psychological and legal assistance while they wait for justice to restore something they have been denied for years: protection and dignity.