Torrevieja Tragedy

In the early hours of 21 March 2026, in Torrevieja (Alicante province), a 40-year-old man killed his 3-year-old daughter (reportedly by asphyxiation) and then died by suicide.

The child’s mother (36 years old), his former partner, raised the alarm when he failed to return the child after a visit and stopped answering phone calls. The Civil Guard forced entry into the apartment around 01:00 and discovered both bodies.

The investigation classifies this as vicarious violence (violencia vicaria). The woman is in severe psychological distress and has been hospitalised; psychologists and social services are providing support.

The city has declared official mourning. A minute of silence will be held on 22 March at 12:00 in front of the Town Hall (Plaza de la Constitución).

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or threats — call 016 (free, anonymous, 24/7, available in 50+ languages, call does not appear on your phone bill).

What is violencia vicaria (vicarious violence)?

Violencia vicaria is one of the most brutal forms of gender-based violence (violencia de género).

The perpetrator (typically an ex- or current partner) harms the woman through her closest loved ones, especially her children, using them as instruments to inflict maximum, often irreversible psychological pain.

The most extreme manifestations include killing the child (or children), leaving the woman with lifelong trauma. It is a calculated act: “kill the child = destroy the mother forever.”

Vicarious violence may also involve turning children against the mother, denying contact, issuing threats, or otherwise making her life unbearable through her children.

Origin of the term

The term “violencia vicaria” (from Latin vicarius, meaning “substitute” or “by proxy”) was carefully introduced in 2012 by Argentine psychologist and criminologist Sonia Vaccaro, who had spent years studying cases where men continued to torment former partners through their children after separation.

The concept quickly entered Spanish legal and social practice:

Since 2015, it has been referenced within the framework of Organic Law 1/2004 on Protection against Gender-Based Violence;
In 2017, it was formally enshrined in the State Pact Against Gender-Based Violence (Pacto de Estado contra la Violencia de Género) as “the most extreme form of aggressor violence — harm and/or murder of children.”

Today, violencia vicaria is an established term in Spain, widely used in media, courts, and official documents.