The gruesome murder of a 25-year-old woman in Mexico's capital has unleashed outrage among authorities and rights groups after leaked photos of her mutilated body appeared on the front page of a newspaper.
Prosecutors will seek the maximum punishment for Ingrid Escamilla's murder, the capital's mayor said today, adding a suspect had been arrested for the crime that took place at an apartment north of the city centre at the weekend.
A man has been arrested for the brutal billing of Ingrid Escamilla. Photo: Twitter /almacdmx
Marches to protest violence against women have intensified in recent months, with demonstrators setting government buildings on fire and daubing monuments with graffiti.
An average of 10 women were killed a day in Mexico in 2018, the year with the highest number of murders of women in three decades, according to official data. For women who suffered violence, more than 40 percent of them were victims of their partners.
Escamilla's murder was a particularly horrific display of brutality in a country accustomed to regular violence.
A man identified by media as the detained suspect, appeared in a video, streaked with blood, talking to police. Media said the man was the woman's domestic partner. A police spokeswoman referred questions about the case to the prosecutor's office.
A photograph of the victim featured on the cover of Pasala, a newspaper that splashes gory stories and photographs on its front pages, often with salacious headlines.
The headline accompanying Escamilla's photograph read: "It was cupid's fault." Editors at Pasala did not respond to a request for comment.
The Mexico City prosecutor's office said it was investigating six civil servants to determine who leaked the images.
Some social media users reacted to the gory photograph by posting pictures of Escamilla showing her smiling and confident, with neatly combed hair and bright lipstick.
"Out of respect to you and your family, this is the only way I want to remember you," one user wrote on Twitter, where #IngridEscamilla and #JusticeForIngrid were trending topics.
Ella es y será #IngridEscamilla, como dejar de llorarle si su adiós marcó nuestras vidas,#NiUnaMas pic.twitter.com/dNUHLksMyy
— almacdmx (@almacdmx) February 12, 2020
The National Women's Institute of Mexico (Inmujeres) condemned the publication of the photograph and the crime.
"Mexico is facing a tremendous challenge with respect to violence against women," the institute said in a statement. "We urge the media to work with rigour and professionalism."
Milenio Television reported that Escamilla had filed a complaint against her partner several months ago but later withdrew it.
- Reuters
