Prosecutor's Office investigates the murder of a minor in Havana: Accused in provisional custody

The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Havana reported today that it is investigating a murder that occurred last Saturday, March 21 in the Guiteras neighborhood (known as Bahía), municipality of Havana del Este, whose victim is a minor.

The official statement, published this Saturday by the Attorney General's Office, indicates that the criminal process is being handled by the organs of the Ministry of the Interior and that the agency has direct control over the investigation.

"Under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law, the Prosecutor's Office has secured the accused, a Cuban citizen who was unemployed at the time of the events, with a precautionary measure of provisional detention. Instructional proceedings are being carried out to collect evidence," the statement reads, which does not provide further details about the incident.

"In respect to the rights and guarantees established by the Constitution and the laws, the Prosecutor's Office will exercise public criminal action before the Court for its judgment, requesting severe penalties corresponding to the gravity of the facts and the circumstances under which they occurred, on which it will provide timely information," it adds.

This week, independent media reported the murder of Gabriela Herrera Rodríguez, a seven-year-old girl. Organizations that monitor gender-based violence in Cuba classified the case as an instance of child femicide.

The crime occurred on March 21 in Reparto Chibás, Guanabacoa municipality, Havana.

“On the evening of March 21, Gabriela left her home in Reparto Chibás and did not return. Her mother organized a search in the area along with family and neighbors. Well into the night, the girl's body was found in the vicinity of the neighborhood, in an area near the home of the alleged aggressor. She showed signs of extreme violence and possible indications of other assaults. The suspected perpetrator, a neighbor from the same neighborhood, was arrested in Guanabacoa following the discovery,” reported the independent outlet Alas Tensas.

CiberCuba has not been able to confirm if this is the same case.

Just days earlier, Katherine Cruz Aguilera, 14 years old, was murdered in La Tunas.

The public safety situation in the country is alarming. Independent reports document 1,319 crimes in Cuba, a figure that is five times higher than previous years, highlighting the serious decline of public order on the island.