A seven-year-old girl was murdered last weekend in Havana, as confirmed in recent hours by the independent observers of Alas Tensas (OGAT) and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (YSTCC), who have classified the case as a child femicide.
The victim, identified as Gabriela Herrera Rodríguez, died on March 21 in the Reparto Chibás, municipality of Guanabacoa, in an incident that initially began circulating on social media among unverified reports and was subsequently confirmed by both feminist organizations.
According to the confirmed information, the minor left her home in the afternoon and did not return.
Following her disappearance, the mother, relatives, and neighbors began a search in the area.
Late at night, the girl's body was found in the vicinity of the neighborhood, in an area close to the residence of the alleged assailant.
The corpse showed "signs of extreme violence and possible indications of other assaults", said the mentioned source, indicating the severity of the crime.
The alleged perpetrator, a neighbor from the same area, was arrested following the discovery.
From social media reports to independent confirmation
Before this verification, the case had caused a stir on social media, where multiple versions of what happened were circulating, some of which were contradictory.
Initial reports indicated the disappearance of the minor and her subsequent discovery that night, but they included unverified information regarding the circumstances of the crime, the identity of the suspect, and details of the incident.
In the comments, discrepancies also arose regarding essential aspects, such as whether the girl was alone or accompanied at the time of her disappearance, which necessitated exercising utmost caution.
It was not until the confirmation from OGAT and YSTCC that the fundamental elements of the case could be established with greater clarity.
A crime that is not isolated
The murder of Gabriela occurs just a week after another similar incident: the femicide of Katherine Cruz Aguilera, 14 years old, in Las Tunas.
The director of Alas Tensas, Ileana Álvarez, has raised concerns about the severity of both cases:
“In Cuba, we are reporting a very serious situation: extreme violence against girls is taking lives, occurring in a context of total lack of protection. In just a week [...] we have recorded two crimes that shake the nation.”
Why is it considered child femicide?
The observatories explain that the term child femicide is used when a girl is murdered in the context of macho violence, abuse, power relations, or extreme vulnerability.
Álvarez outlined the elements present in this case:
"In the case of Gabriela, a girl only 7 years old, there was a previous disappearance, a desperate search by the family and the community, and the discovery of her body showing signs of extreme violence and allegedly other types of injuries in the area where the perpetrator and the victim lived."
In Katherine's case, she added, patterns such as vulnerability, cruelty, and possible signs of abuse were also identified.
Reports of institutional neglect
Beyond the crime, observers insist that these events respond to a structural context.
“From the observatories, we denounce that these crimes occur amidst the humanitarian crisis that Cuba is experiencing, where children are increasingly exposed and more defenseless,” the feminist sources pointed out.
They also point out the lack of effective policies:
"We also denounce the lack of effective prevention and protection policies, and the irresponsibility of a power that focuses on repression while neglecting the most vulnerable individuals."
“Naming it is urgent. Denouncing it is urgent. Because yes, there is child femicide in Cuba, and remaining silent about it would also be a form of violence”, they conclude.
A documented phenomenon without official figures
Femicides, defined by UN Women as the intentional murder of a woman simply for being a woman, lack systematic public statistics in Cuba. Therefore, their documentation relies on independent observatories.
In the case of Gabriela, the records from OGAT and YSTCC raise the number of verified femicides to 12 so far in 2026, along with seven attempts of femicide and one murder of a man for gender-related reasons.
In 2025, these observatories recorded 48 femicides, down from 56 in 2024, although they warn that the apparent reduction may be influenced by underreporting and a lack of institutional transparency.
The analysis of the 2025 cases shows concerning patterns:
In more than 90% of the cases, the aggressor knew the victim.
The home was the scene of the crime in 62.5% of the cases.
-White weapons accounted for 64.6%.
In two out of three cases, high levels of cruelty were identified.
An alarm that goes off again
The murder of Gabriela Herrera Rodríguez not only brings sorrow to a family and a community, but also highlights the extreme vulnerability in which many girls live in Cuba.
As summarized by Alas Tensas:
"It is not an isolated case. [...] In both recent cases, alarming patterns are identified: proximity of the aggressor, extreme violence, and a crisis context where the victims are unprotected."
Naming these crimes, documenting them, and demanding justice – the observatories insist – remains an urgent necessity in the face of a reality that cannot be normalized or kept silent.
Filed under: