Spain 112: couple going through separation found dead in Cuenca village

It was the 37-year-old Romanian woman's father who alerted the police when nobody would answer the door. He knew that his daughter and son-in-law (a Spaniard) were inside.

When the Guardia Civil gained access to the property with the help of the fire brigade, they found the two bodies. A basic life support ambulance and an emergency doctor attended the scene of the crime, but he could only certify the deaths.

The man allegedly first stabbed his partner and then himself. They leave behind two girls, ages six and 14, who were staying at a relative's home at the time of the incident.

Initially, the two girls will be placed in the care of their grandparents, as the regional minister of social welfare reported on Friday. However, should this not be possible, the regional government would assume guardianship of them.

The woman does not appear in the VioGén system for the protection of gender-based violence victims and the police have found no complaints against the man.

The death of this couple has shocked the small village of Valverde de Júcar, where most of the residents make their living from farming. At midday on Friday, the town hall called for a public gathering to hold a minute's silence and declared three days of official mourning, including the cancellation of leisure activities over the weekend.

"The village is shocked and angry," Mayor Eduardo Mena said. "We could never have imagined this because they were seen walking together through the village as normal," he said, although he noted that the couple had been living separately for a month.

Review the latest crime and judicial news reports