With an illegal hunting rifle in hand, a man waited for his target for hours. Civil guard Víctor GD carried out the murder of his former partner, Ana Vanessa Serén, on a Saturday at the gates of the O Muiño de Oia campsite in Pontevedra, where he was employed. He spent the morning waiting as she sat in the van, arriving there after finishing work and leaving the office around four in the afternoon. He approached, fired a shot, and fled, later taking his own life about six hours later. Near ten o’clock that night, after being cornered by police on a nearby hill in the same town, near A Valga business, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“There was a van at the campsite entrance all morning, and a few people noticed it”, said Beatriz González, the director of the organization.
The fact that the vehicle appeared unregistered, apparently rented, and that the assailant was armed with an illegally obtained shotgun pointed to a crime described by authorities as gender based violence. Officials noted that the firearm had been withdrawn from service earlier and assigned to administrative duties at the Baiona barracks. The incident highlights a case of premeditated violence that, because the alleged perpetrator died, may be recorded in judicial records as a factor that limited criminal liability.
The hunting weapon used in the murder was not registered.
Vanessa and Víctor had known each other for years after meeting during a prior assignment in Asturias. At the Oviedo Civil Guard Command, Vanessa had filed the first gender based violence complaint against him in November 2021, though that matter did not proceed. The Government delegate for Galicia, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, confirmed that the couple remained together after the initial complaint. Friends of the victim said she felt unsupported when she went to testify and that the case did not advance as expected.
The second complaint, submitted last April, reportedly followed an assault that led to Vanessa being transported to Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo by a police patrol; she appeared to have injuries to a hand and an eye. After the breakup, Vanessa lived with a neighbor in Oia, who provided shelter. Friends said she described insults and beatings after being asked repeatedly where she would live.
A drawing recreating Vanessa’s murder and the hours after her death offers a visual reminder of the tragedy.
According to the Xustiza de Galicia High Court, Vanessa’s April complaint led to the arrest of the civil guard and the case reached the Vigo Women’s Court on 5 April. The court released the detainee but issued a protection order in favor of the victim as a precautionary measure. The order included a restraining provision and a ban on contact that remained in force at the time of the weekend crime.
There was no rapid trial. Vanessa described two separate incidents of gender violence, and official sources indicated that the court did not have all the necessary evidence for immediate criminal proceedings. The Vigo judge redirected the case away from Tudense’s court, as Tudense’s jurisdiction did not align with Vanessa’s residence and the initial investigation court. A missing injury report was completed on 23 May and delivered two weeks later. The following day, the court referred the case to the Galician Forensic Institute (Imelga) for the mandatory report.
The Tudense court is actively investigating the case. In another development on 23 May, Vanessa’s lawyer asked the court to move the victim’s belongings from the home of the person under investigation, and the judge agreed, with state security forces and the court later ensuring her safety.
Scholars and officials have urged a review of protection system faults after the attacker was arrested in April. The minister of promotion and Galicia’s Equality office called for a thorough evaluation of the victim protection framework. They highlighted that the system failed to prevent the crime even after a police protection plan was in place. The Civil Guard’s EMUME unit had carried out 56 protection interventions in Vanessa’s case, averaging about one per day, but the attacker ultimately ended the life of the 44 year old woman in broad daylight.
“Today’s protection systems are better than they were two decades ago, but ongoing improvement is essential”, said the Government delegate for Galicia, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro.
One ongoing demand from groups opposing gender based violence is to extend telemetric wristbands to harassers. In this case, the person did not wear the device, and neither the prosecutor nor defense requested its use after the April arrest. The court did not order such surveillance.
Minutes of silence across Galicia
Galicia organized several quiet demonstrations to denounce gender based violence in Oia. Institutions and civic groups observed a minute of silence, including a notable gathering in Vigo in front of MARCO, organized by the Unitary Feminismo platform.
Vigorous turnout in Vigo during the demonstrations. MARTA G. BREA
Forensic analysis of the assailant’s body and gunpowder residue on the hands
After Vanessa’s death, an autopsy was performed at Imelga in Vigo. The officer’s body underwent forensic analysis to determine gunpowder residue on the hands and to confirm the nature of the injuries. A suicide report will include tests for alcohol or drugs and other substances, while samples from the hands will help clarify residue and the potential intent. Vanessa was laid to rest in private family ceremonies.
In memory of the woman who stood against animal cruelty
Condolences and moments of reflection appeared across social media in the days following the tragedy. Among those paying tribute was a judge previously involved in animal abuse cases, who said that lives can intersect with moments that leave a lasting mark. The statement underscored the shared grief and the ongoing commitment to addressing violence against women.