The misogynistic and transfeminicidal crime committed in Figueres has reopened pressure on victim protection measures after forensic and social professionals consider it an avoidable case due to the accumulation of prior alerts, prolonged control, and institutional failures.
The main contradiction of the case appears at a specific point. There were complaints and protection orders, but these mechanisms did not prevent Kimberly's death or the subsequent exposure of her body in the middle of a public street, recorded and disseminated on social media.
The complaints did not prevent a long process of control and exhaustion
Aroha Cortés, a forensic psychologist, maintains that the existence of complaints and protection orders does not guarantee effective safety on its own. In her analysis, revictimization and the lack of continuous support increase victims' emotional exhaustion during processes that tend to be prolonged.
This deterioration is inserted into a cycle of violence that begins with control and dependence. The annulment of the victim's identity and decision-making capacity ends up reflected in an emotional breakdown that Cortés summarizes in a specific question, "What do I have left? Who am I?".
In Figueres, the interpretation by professionals and groups is that it was not an isolated episode, but a process sustained over time. The case also incorporates the condition of transfeminicide, with added factors of vulnerability linked to LGTBI-phobia, social stigma, and economic precarity.
The dissemination of the body on social media added another form of violence
Another element that marked the case was the recording and dissemination of Kimberly's body on social media while she lay in the street. The circulation of these images has placed at the center the response of those who prioritized the digital exposure of the scene over any reaction of aid or containment.
The public discussion also extends to the criminal justice response. In this debate, it is denounced that, in the current penal system, killing a person can result in sentences of 20 years which are later reduced with permits and other prison rights, facilitating their return to the street.
For Tuesday, May 25, feminist organizations and social groups have called for a demonstration in Plaça Josep Tarradellas in Figueres. The mobilization aims to demand accountability, real protection, and justice after Kimberly's crime.