Spain has been shaken by a series of suspected gender-based killings after four women were allegedly murdered by their partners or former partners in just five days, prompting widespread condemnation and an emergency response from the government.
The four deaths, recorded between 17 and 21 July in Madrid, Málaga and Toledo provinces, have brought renewed attention to the country’s ongoing battle against violence against women and pushed the annual total of suspected gender-based murders to more than 30.
The latest cases came to light on Tuesday, when two women were found dead within hours of each other.
In Alameda de la Sagra, in the province of Toledo (Castilla-La Mancha), a 48-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stabbing his partner to death.
Meanwhile, in the exclusive Los Arqueros residential development in Benahavís, Málaga province (Andalusia), a 45-year-old woman was found dead inside her home with a knife wound to the neck and other signs of violence. A neighbour alerted the authorities after hearing screams and seeing a man leave the property by car. The suspect fled the scene, prompting a major Guardia Civil search.
Just a day earlier, on Monday, a 29-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in the Málaga town of Antequera. According to investigators, her partner is believed to have taken his own life shortly after the attack.
The first victim in this tragic sequence died on 17 July in Sevilla la Nueva, near Madrid. The 31-year-old Moroccan woman succumbed to injuries after spending almost six months in hospital with burns covering around 50% of her body. Prosecutors believe her partner allegedly hired two men to set her on fire in an attack carried out earlier this year.
With the confirmation of these latest cases, the number of women killed through gender-based violence in Spain has risen to 31 in 2026, bringing the total to 1,372 since official records began in 2003. The number of children left orphaned as a result of gender-based violence has also increased to 20 in 2026 and 530 since 2013, when those figures began to be recorded.
The succession of killings has sparked outrage across Spain and prompted an immediate response from the government.
Equality Minister Ana Redondo García and the Government Delegate against Gender Violence, Carmen Martínez Perza, expressed their strongest condemnation and unequivocal rejection of these latest killings, while extending their full support and solidarity to the victims’ families and friends.
Both officials called on institutions, public administrations and society as a whole to make every possible effort to intervene in time and prevent further deaths caused by gender-based violence. On Wednesday, the equality minister participated in the minute of silence for the latest murders, at the ministry headquarters (main image).
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X: ‘In the last few hours, three misogynistic murders have been confirmed in Madrid, Málaga, and Toledo. All my love and solidarity to the families and friends of the three murdered women. We are facing an unbearable tragedy that strikes us as a society and that we cannot normalise or accept. Ever. More unity, firmness, and commitment from all of society. Because eradicating misogynistic violence is a collective responsibility. If you are a victim, if you are a witness. Call 016. Report it. You are not alone.’
In response to the sudden increase in fatalities, the Government Delegation against Gender Violence has announced that it will convene a crisis committee to analyse the recent surge in violence, particularly during the summer period, and examine whether additional preventive measures are needed.
Help available for victims
Spain provides free and confidential support for victims of gender-based violence 24 hours a day.
Victims or anyone who suspects someone may be at risk can call 016, a free helpline that does not appear on telephone bills. Assistance is also available via WhatsApp on 600 000 016, while further information, regional resources and local support services can be accessed through the Government Delegation against Gender Violence’s official online platform.
Authorities continue to stress that reporting abuse can save lives and urge anyone experiencing or witnessing gender-based violence to seek help immediately.
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‼️ Confirmación:
— Delegación del Gob. contra la Violencia de Género (@DelGobVG) July 21, 2026
Dos mujeres asesinadas por presunta #ViolenciaDeGénero en Málaga y Toledo.#NiUnaMenos#NosQueremosVivas
ℹ️ https://t.co/eRsas6uhdy
🔴 La ministra de Igualdad, @_anaredondo_, ha participado en el minuto de silencio por los últimos asesinatos machistas, en la sede del ministerio. #NiUnaMás #NiUnaMenos pic.twitter.com/qmU6qYSxP1
— Ministerio de Igualdad (@IgualdadGob) July 22, 2026
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