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A 17-year-old girl was stabbed to death by her boyfriend on December 5th, in her own home, located in the rural settlement of Finca Alcancía, in the municipality of Jovellanos, Matanzas province.
The victim, Heidi García Orosco, was a high school student and was still wearing the school uniform of the Pedro Pablo Rivera Cué Pre-University Institute when she was attacked, as confirmed by Cuban feminist organizations.
The Gender Observatory Alas Tensas (OGAT) and the platform YoSíTeCreo in Cuba (YSTCC), which verified the case, expressed their sorrow over the incident and emphasized the seriousness of it involving a minor.
“We denounce and highlight this case because Heidi was a minor, a sad reality that repeats every year with victims of childhood age,” OGAT noted through its social media.
Murdered in her home, in broad daylight
According to reports, the femicide occurred around two in the afternoon, when Heidi was assaulted inside her home, allegedly by her boyfriend, in an act of violence that once again highlights how the domestic space has become a lethal environment for many Cuban women.
After the attack, the assailant fled, but was found by his own father, who turned him over to the police hours later.
The aforementioned source specified that the community is in shock over the crime.
"The community and the family, especially her mother, are deeply affected by the loss of a teenager who was highly cherished in her surroundings," affirmed Ileana Álvarez, director of OGAT.
A pattern of intimate and structural femicide
Heidi's murder is not an isolated incident; rather, it is part of an increasingly alarming pattern of feminicide violence in Cuba.
The latest report from OGAT reveals that in 2024, 76.8% of femicides were committed against women aged 15 to 45; while 17 out of the 56 verified cases occurred in the age range of 15 to 30 years.
"Home continues to be the most dangerous environment for many women. The murder of Heidi García Orosco reflects this pattern of intimate femicide at home targeting young women in a context of structural vulnerability," Álvarez warned.
In fact, 55.4% of the femicides recorded in 2024 occurred in the victim's home or in residences shared with the aggressor, a statistic that is echoed in Heidi's case.
This feminicide was the 43rd recorded in Cuba in 2025, according to the joint registry of OGAT and YSTCC.
Until December 8, both organizations have also documented 11 attempts of femicide, 1 murder of a man for gender-related reasons, and three cases currently under investigation. They are the cases of Hilda Puig Peña, Nieves Rosa Castrillo Núñez, and Fredesvinda Zaida Pérez Poey.
Currently, new violent incidents with characteristics of femicide are being investigated in Santiago de Cuba (1), Camagüey (2), Artemisa (2), Villa Clara (1), and Granma (1).
Lack of protection and moral crisis among youth
In addition to the structural patterns, the case also highlights a broader social phenomenon that specialists link to a crisis of values among Cuban youth, the proliferation of social indiscipline, drug use, and a lack of future expectations, which result in increasingly violent behaviors.
For the observers, Heidi's crime adds to a painful list of lives cut short that demands urgent answers from the State.
“These events were reported by the press, citizens, and activists, and verified with community sources through the joint effort of OGAT and YSTCC,” stated Alas Tensas, reaffirming their commitment to citizen monitoring of gender-based violence.
The feminist organization concluded its statement with a clear call: “Citizens, reporting these crimes is not a crime!”
In the absence of comprehensive legislation against gender violence in Cuba, platforms like OGAT and YSTCC emphasize the need to bring these cases to light, break the silence, and create social and institutional pressure for the implementation of effective public policies on prevention, support, and justice.
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