A man kills his ex-partner with a hammer in a brutal femicide in Argentina

A 33-year-old woman identified as María Elba Debarbora died this Monday after having been brutally attacked with a hammer by her ex-partner, Lucas Niemiz, after spending two days in a state of brain death, reports local media.

According to the reconstruction of events, Niemiz, 27 years old, violated a restraining order that prevented him from approaching the victim, and on the night of May 23rd, he went to the woman's home in the town of Villa Ocampo (province of Santa Fe), where the crime took place.

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It transpired that Debarbora had filed several complaints of gender violence against her former partner, who also had a history of substance abuse, reports La Nación. This caused concern among her acquaintances and led to a restraining order that was not enough to protect her.

Initially, the aggressor was charged with the crime of attempted femicide, very serious injuries and violation of a perimeter measure, but after the death of María Elba, the case was reclassified as femicide.

Between January 1st and December 31st, 2024, 283 femicides were recorded in Argentina, meaning one woman murdered every 27 hours. These events left 342 orphans, of whom 52% are minors, according to figures compiled by the 'Adriana Marisel Zambrano' Femicide Observatory.