Woman murdered in Benalmádena had been denied a restraining order from the court prior to death

The police had classified the case as "medium risk", while the court found contradictions in the domestic violence victim's statement and no "objective situation" of danger, which ultimately led to the first case of a gender-based killing in Andalucía for 2025

Juan Cano

Málaga

Monday, 10 February 2025, 12:06

It has been revealed that Catalina, the 48-year-old mother of four who was killed by her partner in Benalmádena on 9 February, had been denied a restraining order from the court, due to the case being classified as "medium risk". After a violent episode on 20 January, Lina, as she was known in Benalmádena, had not been granted stronger precautionary measures, because there was no evidence of the existence of "an objective situation of risk" for the victim, according to the police.

Catalina became the first victim of a gender-based murder in Andalucía and second in Spain in 2025.

Augustine, 42, of Nigerian origin and Lina's ex-partner, allegedly killed her and set fire to the family home, with her body inside. Although results from the autopsy are still pending, sources have pointed out that the victim's body showed signs of assault with a knife. One of Lina and Augustine's children also stated that their dad had killed her and set the house on fire.

On 20 January, Lina reported Augustine for raising his hand and threatening her. Although he did not attack her on that occasion, she said that he had hit her previously. After this case, Lina was registered in the VioGen system, which is responsible for assessing the level of risk of domestic violence, but the police classified her case as "medium risk" and continued monitoring it via phone calls.

At first, Lina didn't want to file a complaint, but ultimately decided to do it. The court discovered contradictions in her statement and denied her a restraining order.

At 5.25am on Sunday 9 February, Augustine called the emergency services to report that a fire had broken out in a house at Calle Alamos 27, without mentioning that it was the home of his ex-partner and their children, or that he was responsible for the fire.

A squad of Benalmádena's Local Police was the first to arrive. The officers rescued the three children and identified Augustine, who was standing the street. It was then that one of the children told the officers that his mother was still inside and that his father had killed her.

When the flames were extinguished, the police found Lina's body in the two-storey house in the old part of the Pueblo. The autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Lina had once been married. Her son from that marriage is now 19. She started dating Augustine about 13 years ago. They moved into the house on Calle Álamos, where her mother lived on the second floor and Lina lived downstairs with her partner and their children.

According to sources, she had recently separated from Augustine. Benalmádena locals claimed that he had been seen with another partner, while Lina's Facebook profile described her relationship status as "complicated".

Loles López, regional minister for social inclusion, youth, families and equality, condemned Lina's death. She pointed out that Lina had not been part of the Municipal Women's Information Centre (CMIM). López stated that all resources have been activated to put the children in care.

Lina leaves behind four children - the 19-year-old boy from her previous marriage and three minors, 11, 9 and 7, from her relationship with Augustine. The children were inside the house when the crime took place. The eldest allegedly had tried to stop his father and had been assaulted by him.

Lina is the first fatal victim of male violence in Andalucía so far this year and the second in Spain. The first was Karilenia, a 39-year-old Cuban woman murdered on 31 January in Langreo (Asturias). The perpetrator was a 72-year-old Spanish man, without a track record of complaints from the victim and no previous convictions for gender-based violence. Karilenia was stabbed to death in the middle of the street, shortly before midnight, in the presence of two young women who tried to prevent the attack.

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