Gender violence

Killer washes blood from arms in Spanish square as ex-partner lies dying just feet away

A man walked to a public fountain to clean himself after a fatal stabbing in the popular tourist town of Figueres

People in Figueres protesting the killing
People in Figueres protesting the killing. (EFE)

Natalia Penza

A savage killer was seen strolling calmly to a fountain in a Spanish town to wash the blood of his dying ex from his hands and arms - while her body lay just a few feet away.

Witnesses in Josep Tarradellas Square, located in the Catalan town of Figueres, watched in horror as Andre Roche Ceron cleaned himself up with total indifference. One onlooker, who had just seen the fatal stabbing, was heard shouting: ā€œI don’t know who he is, but he’s escaping.ā€

Moments later, a group of angry locals, including an off-duty police officer, confronted the attacker before pinning him down until emergency services arrived.

The broad-daylight crime has sparked national outrage in the birthplace of Salvador DalĆ­. It has emerged that only 24 hours earlier, the 48-year-old Spaniard had been handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for mistreating his 33-year-old former partner, Kimberli, also known as Erica D.G, a Honduran trans woman, and was issued a restraining order.

Despite being arrested for breaching that order mere hours later, he was released on bail on Tuesday morning

-just six hours before the chilling murder took place.

A "preventable" tragedy

Figueres Mayor Jordi Masquef expressed his indignation at the judicial failure, stating:

ā€œSomething has surely failed. We can only condemn this sexist crime and ensure that such scourges are never repeated again in our town or anywhere else.ā€

The High Court of Justice of Catalonia confirmed that the suspect had accepted a plea bargain on 18 May. However, when he was brought before a duty judge the following morning for a separate injury report, he was released because Kimberli - the victim - did not appear in court to testify. It remains unclear if she stayed away out of fear.

Patterns of violence

This sickening murder echoes the death of British hairdresser Victoria Hart, who was killed in AlhaurĆ­n el Grande in January. In that case, her estranged husband had also been handed a suspended sentence for violating a restraining order three times in a single fortnight before the fatal attack.

The incident in Figueres adds to a grim week for Spain. Authorities also confirmed yesterday that a serving Civil Guard officer on the Costa Blanca shot dead his wife and 24-year-old son in their sleep before turning the weapon on himself.

The suspect in the Figueres case remains in custody as investigators piece together why the system failed to protect a woman who was clearly at high risk.

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Killer washes blood from arms in Spanish square as ex-partner lies dying just feet away

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Killer washes blood from arms in Spanish square as ex-partner lies dying just feet away