Benalmádena rallies to raise money to support murdered mother's children

The people of Benalmádena have stepped up to the mark following the violent death of Lina, the 48-year-old woman who was allegedly murdered by her ex-partner in the early hours of Sunday morning. The local Santo Domingo de Guzmán church community has started to raise funds for clothes and other necessary items for Lina's children, three of whom are minors. The alleged perpetrator set fire to the house where Lina lived with her children, which now places the entire immediate family of the deceased in a complicated economic and housing situation.

Both Lina and a large part of her family have always been linked to the church community that is now working to support the children. After the idea for the campaign was first proposed by the parish priest during Sunday afternoon's mass, locals donated 800 euros within an hour. However, the people of Benalmádena have also warned of a hoax that has been spreading on social media networks, under the pretense of an appeal to deliver clothes and toys to the parish. In reality, the community is only accepting monetary funds, to buy vital things necessary for the children. The church's catechists are responsible for receiving these contributions and ensuring the funds are properly allocated. They are also going to place a collection box in the pharmacy in the Pueblo, where anyone can make a donation.

The Peña Caballista de Benalmádena horse riding club has also published an account number that will also be accepting donations with the same purpose.

The grief of Benalmádena's residents was reflected in the dark sky over the Costa del Sol town when yje town hall declared an official day of mourning for the violent death of one of its residents on Monday 10 February. Lina had spent her whole life among the local community. "Yesterday afternoon you couldn't hear anything, there was a huge void in the street. Every morning, we would hear the clamour of children as they were going to school and, every afternoon, the streets would be filled with their laughter, but today we only hear suffocating silence," said Luisa, one of Lina's neighbours, who saw the victim's house as it was being engulfed in flames on the night of the incident. "We saw there was a fire and we rushed over to see what was burning, but we soon found out what had happened. It was horrible," she said.

"We are all angry. Four orphaned children have been left behind," said other neighbours. "Lina was a very good woman, always working, always with her children."

The community organised two events to condemn the 'macho' crime. The first took place in front of Benalmádena's town hall, where political representatives, municipal workers and residents held a minute of silence. Later, in the afternoon, a neighbourhood rally under the slogan 'Ni una más' ('Not one more') was organised by the Movimiento Democrático de Mujeres de Benalmádena in front of the Casa de la Cultura de Benalmádena Pueblo.

The principals of all Benalmádena's nursery, primary and secondary schools have also come together to release a joint manifesto: "We know that this is an extremely difficult and painful time and we want to insist that schools fight and care for our students. It is essential that, as a community, we come together to provide a safe and supportive environment for all those who are affected by violence." Lina worked as a supervisor in the safe school route service at the Jacaranda primary school, where her youngest children study.

"We are broken and dismayed. We all knew Lina, we saw her every day - she was a lifelong town local, with a large family here," said Juan Antonio Lara, Benalmádena's mayor. He stated that the victim's children are already receiving psychological support and that a technician from Benalmádena town hall is analysing the state of the house to determine the measures that will be necessary before it can be inhabited again. .