A man murders his wife and three-year-old son in the Valencian Community.

BarcelonaPolice have arrested a man accused of murdering a woman and her son in the town of Algemesí, in the Ribera Alta region. Initially, it was reported that the child was 18 months old, but it was finally reported that he was just a few weeks away from turning 3. The 34-year-old suspect was taken to the Alzira police station, according to the À Punt radio station. Although the victim—Alejandra, 42, of Venezuelan nationality—was not registered with VioGén, the gender-based violence surveillance system, relatives of the couple have described the alleged murderer as violent. They also said he suffered from recurrent outbursts of rage.

The double gender-based crime took place around six in the morning. Following a heated argument at the family home, the victims' mother and grandmother, respectively, called the emergency line 112. When police officers arrived at the apartment, they found the body of the woman, who had suffered stab wounds, and her son, who was showing signs of asphyxiation. Paramedics quickly performed resuscitation maneuvers on the child, but were unable to save his life.

The Homicide Group of the Provincial Brigade of Judicial Police of Valencia has taken charge of the investigation, but the local press reports that the man confessed to the two murders shortly after committing them in a phone call to 112, as explained by the mayor of Algemesí, "that the fatal victim was under the radar of VioGén.

The brother and sister-in-law of the murdered woman have assured that the now detained man is a violent man who had terrified the woman. Despite this situation, the victim never wanted to report the attacks because, being a foreigner and having a temporary residence permit to live in the State, she was afraid of losing her documentation and being expelled from the country. It is an attitude shared by many of the women who suffer gender-based violence, who do not dare to go to the police station or the court. Experts point to factors such as distrust in the system, fear of retaliation from the aggressor if he knows he's been singled out, concern for the children, the lack of alternative housing, or simply not feeling like they're victims or not wanting to harm their partner.

In the case of foreign victims, they are protected by law and have the right to receive care from all available services, regardless of their administrative status. However, immigrant women, especially those without residence permits, are one of the most vulnerable groups, along with older women and those with disabilities.

The Algemesí City Council has expressed its regret over the murder of this resident and her son and has called for a minute of silence on Thursday at 12 noon to show solidarity with the family and condemn the crime. In addition, the council has declared a day of mourning during which the flags of all public centers will be lowered.

With this double murder, Alejandra is the 17th victim of this year and the 1,311th since 2013. There have been three fatalities among minors since the beginning of the year, and 65 since 2013, when data collection began.