Alina, a mother whose two daughters were killed by their father in Las Alcubillas, between Gérgal and Alboloduy in Almería, stands as a stark illustration of the extreme vulnerability faced by victims of gender-based violence in Spain.
At just 23, she endured brutal abuse marked by sadistic violence from her husband. Multiple sources consulted for this piece confirm she entered Andalucia’s protection system in 2022 and, unfortunately, faced renewed coercion from her abuser thereafter.
To protect her children and return to Romania, her homeland, Alina agreed to leave the shelter in Granada, breaking several warnings issued by judicial and protective authorities. This decision, made under pressure, did not lead to the hoped-for safety, and the path out of Spain remained blocked by ongoing threats.
While details of the investigation continue to unfold, the information available paints a portrait of a victim of the most brutal form of violence: infanticidal coercion, sometimes described as vicarious violence, where the perpetrator uses the children to control the mother. Alina was a vulnerable, economically dependent woman who had recently been living with her children in the town of Abla in Almería, a locality that has declared a period of mourning in response to the tragedy.
She longed to return to Romania with her daughters, hoping that the father would consent to the girls leaving Spain. This expectation did not materialize, and the protective measures in place were not enough to secure a permanent exit from Spain for the family. According to authorities within the Ministry of Equality and Social Policies, Alina’s status was described as one of extreme vulnerability, underscoring the difficulties she faced in escaping the abuse.
She was part of the VioGén system, a centralized program overseen by Spain’s Ministry of the Interior designed to monitor and safeguard women who suffer gender-based violence and their children across the country. The program aims to coordinate police, social, and judicial resources to reduce risk and provide ongoing support for families in danger.
In March 2022 she entered protective accommodation
In the village area around Albodoluy and Abla, the community was aware of persistent episodes of abuse directed at Alina, including instances that occurred while she was pregnant with her younger child. That child, a two-year-old girl, and her elder sister, four, were killed by their father, an act that investigators from the Civil Guard are examining as part of a case of vicarious violence. Early indications point toward possible poisoning as a component of the investigation.
In March 2022, Alina and her two daughters were admitted to the Almería emergency center for gender-based violence victims, operated by the Andalusian Institute of Women (IAM). By June, they were moved to a Granada shelter where they received psychological, legal, and social support within a personalized care plan.
In March 2023, Alina voluntarily requested to leave the shelter resources provided by the IAM. Officials and technical staff cautioned that she and her daughters arrived in a state of extreme vulnerability, and their decision to exit did not reflect the professional view of the care team. The case remains a challenging reminder of how fragile safety margins can be when coercive control persists even after protective steps are taken. [Source: Consejería de Igualdad y Políticas Sociales]