Abla, the small municipality where the mother of the two girls, ages 2 and 4, who died of poisoning last Sunday by their father, who would later commit suicide, lives, is still in mourning and will host the funeral of the two minors this afternoon, an act that It will take place in the strictest privacy by the woman's desire.
This Almería town of 3,000 inhabitants is turning its attention to the woman, a 23-year-old girl of Romanian origin who is without family support in the area but who is receiving the warmth of all the neighbors, people who have even organized a collection to be able to help the victim financially.
Alina, as the mother's name is, is still in shock about what happened and is accompanied by two psychologists throughout the day. The woman, in addition to being a victim of abuse by her former partner, a case that was going to be tried in April, is once again a victim of the same individual in a case of vicarious violence, a crime perpetrated against the two minors she was pursuing. hurt the mother.
The coffins of the two girls, Larisa and Elisa, arrived yesterday afternoon in Abla from the Institute of Legal Medicine where the autopsies were performed, a study that determined that they had been poisoned with pesticide, and they will receive burial today in the cemetery of the town at the wish of his mother after celebrating an Orthodox mass in the parish.
It will be the last goodbye that the people say to the girls, a case that has shocked society and that has generated an important political debate about whether or not an abuser has the right to have visitation with his children. Some politicians have spoken out on this matter, although it has been Antonio Maetzu, Andalusian Ombudsman, who has warned that he will file a complaint about this matter after confirming that it is a case of vicarious violence. Maeztu has indicated that the analysis will be launched on the extent to which it is appropriate to give visiting permission to children of a father who has a history or accusations of gender violence, a study that, in his opinion, "can prevent deaths." .
As noted by the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia in a document to which La Vanguardia has had access, Alina denounced the father, a 35-year-old Romanian, for an episode of abuse where he allegedly attacked her in front of her daughters in May 2022. It was then that the Court of Violence against Women of Almería issued an order imposing a 500-meter restraining order on the man from the mother, with the placement of a telematic bracelet. The accused then denied having attacked her and framed what happened as an argument.
The aforementioned order also granted Alina custody of the little girls, without visitation by the father, who was also ordered to pay a pension of 150 euros per month for each daughter. These precautionary measures were extended on September 29, 2022 in an order, until the "dispute that arose between the parties" was resolved.
The two parents subsequently communicated to the Violence Court an agreement that attributed custody of the minors to the mother, but at the same time a visitation regime in favor of the father and the payment of alimony on his part. In view of said agreement, the court established a visitation regime by which the father could enjoy the company of his minor daughters on alternate weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, from 12:00 to 18:00, with delivery and collection at the Almería Family Meeting Point. The sentence also established the payment of alimony of 300 euros by the father.
Already on September 26 of last year, the Family Meeting Point issued a report in which it indicated that, at the request of the mother, for work reasons and with the father's agreement, the Saturday stays would not take place and that Deliveries and collections would be made on alternate Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The report covers the period from June to August 2023, a quarter in which only one exchange took place, on June 25.
Before reaching this understanding, the woman had had to flee from her ex-partner and take refuge with her daughters in a shelter in Almería and then in Granada, where she requested to leave the protection circuit voluntarily (and contrary to the criteria of workers) alleging that he intended to return to his country. However, this return did not happen and she returned to Abla where she worked in a local cafeteria.
The technicians at this Point reported that the minors maintained "a normalized behavior by separating themselves from their mother and receiving their father, showing joy and affection when meeting him." It was also emphasized that the father treated his daughters in a "loving manner" and provided "the appropriate care."
The mother herself was canceling the rest of the scheduled meetings due to economic and work reasons, and the two parents reported that they had reached "agreements outside of this service" and that the father was seeing his daughters, the TSJA clarifies. On August 20, both communicated their decision to dispense with this service, so those responsible for the Meeting Point informed the Violence Court of the end of their intervention.
On October 4 of last year, the mother presented another document to facilitate the father's visits and, through her attorney, requested that the supervised visitation regime cease, since the paternal-filial relationship had "normalized, even greatly improved." . She also reiterated the request that the precautionary measure relating to the existing restraining order be withdrawn, in order to facilitate the relationship between the minors and the father.
Finally, on November 9, 2023, the Court agreed to end the intervention of the Meeting Point "given that this had been requested by the parents, their guardians and with the agreement of the Public Prosecutor's Office."
The man was facing a year in prison for injuring the little girls' mother and had a trial pending on April 10 for mistreatment and threats in a Criminal Court in Almería.
