A โ17-year-old in Ecuador has received the maximum sentence – eightโ years of institutionalโ confinement – for attempted femicide resulting in โขthe loss of his pregnant partner’sโ unborn child, the State Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.
The case,โฃ wich unfoldedโค in Cinco Maid, Tungurahuaโ province on December 13, 2024, highlights theโข escalating issue of gender-based violenceโ and it’s devastating consequences for young women and their families. The conviction sends a strong message about โaccountability for violence against women,โข particularly in cases involving pregnancy, and underscores the legal โฃsystem’s commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals. The victim โฃwill alsoโค receive $10,000 in reparations.
Prosecutors detailed how the adolescent lured his partner to a secluded location โฃunder the guise of providing baby supplies. He then brutally attacked the minor, inflicting multiple blows to her abdomen, causingโฃ her to fall repeatedly, and ultimately wounding her with a knife to the face and body.
During the assault, the victim lost consciousness while attempting to defend herself. The attacker fled the scene, leaving her severely injured. medical examinations revealed the victim suffered โฃthe loss โof an eye and the deathโ of her 36-week-gestation fetus.
The Public Ministry’s investigation, supported by medical and psychological evidence, established the adolescent’s obligation for both non-consensual abortion and attempted femicide.The court’s decision reflects the gravity of theseโข charges and the severityโฃ of the harm inflicted upon the victim.
