Laila, a 37-year-old neighbor from Olot in Girona, became this Thursday the fifth victim of domestic violence in Catalonia for this year. She was killed by her partner, a 56-year-old man, who then seriously wounded himself in a suicide attempt. The man died later at the hospital from the injuries sustained.
There were no prior police reports or complaints within the relationship. It was one of the couple’s shared children who alerted the police on Thursday after discovering their bodies in the family home around three in the afternoon. She had been stabbed to death. Police officers were able only to confirm her death while the partner lay gravely injured.
Despite being transported to the hospital, the man died shortly afterward from the injuries he had suffered, injuries reportedly sustained with the same weapon used in the crime, according to investigative sources.
The authorities determined that the man had killed his partner and then taken his own life. In the wake of this gender-based crime, the Department of Equality and Feminisms noted that there have now been five mortal victims in Catalonia this year due to violence against women and extended condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
Separately, the Olot City Council declared three days of official mourning and announced a rally at the town hall to protest this latest act of gender-based violence.