José Pablo Sabrido condemns the machista murders of Xilxes (Castellón) and Madrid and calls for institutional unity in the face of this violence

Toledo.- The delegate of the Government of Spain in Castilla-La Mancha, José Pablo Sabrido, has roundly condemned the latest confirmed murders of gender violence in the province of Castellón and in Madrid, and has conveyed his deepest condolences to the relatives, friends and relatives of the victims.

The condemnation has been expressed during the minute of silence convened this morning at the doors of the Government Delegation in Castilla-La Mancha, in the Plaza de San Vicente de Toledo, in a sign of rejection and revulsion against these new machista crimes that already leave four victims in this week.

The victims are a 48-year-old woman, María José, and her 12-year-old daughter, Noemí, murdered on February 17 in Xilxes, in the province of Castellón; and a 36-year-old woman murdered on February 18 in Madrid. These crimes are in addition to the murder by gender violence of Ana María, which occurred on February 16 also in the province of Castellón.

The murder of the minor in Xilxes confirms the first case of vicarious violence in 2026. In addition, the murder of the woman in Madrid leaves two children orphaned, one of them a minor.

With these cases, the number of women murdered by their partners or ex-partners in Spain amounts to 9 in 2026 and 1,352 since 2003, when official data began to be collected. The number of underage people orphaned by gender violence is 6 in 2026 and 510 since 2013. In addition, the number of underage people killed for gender-based violence against their mothers is 1 in 2026 and 66 since 2013.

In addition to the Government delegate, the event was attended by representatives of the Government Delegation ' s Unit for Coordination against Violence against Women; representatives of the State Security Forces and Corps; members of other public administrations; and workers of the Delegation.

Statements by the delegate

After the act, José Pablo Sabrido regretted having to call the media again to condemn new machista murders and described the situation as “unbearable”.

The delegate has assured that these crimes constitute “an attack on the freedom, dignity and equality of women” and has stressed that “we cannot condone it and we cannot be complicit in any position that seeks to justify these murders from any vision”, insisting that the dignity of the people “is indisputable”.

In this sense, he has made an explicit appeal to institutional and political unity in the face of male violence, pointing out that “no political formation can try to justify this in any way” and that in the face of these murders “there can be no ideological question that separates us”.

Sabrido has called for the active involvement of the whole of society and the media to “be complicit against this situation” and to work from the firmness and collective responsibility to put an end to this violence.

Finally, he recalled that women have at their disposal all the resources of the State and encouraged them to use the telephone 016, ensuring that they will be attended to and accompanied.

Institutional declaration

In application of the protocol approved by the Ministry of Equality and the Ministry of Territorial Policy when a machista murder occurs, an institutional statement has been disseminated in which it is stressed that, as a democratic society, “we cannot tolerate any type of violence against women because they are women”.

Male violence “is a structural violence, based on sexist discrimination, inequality and imbalance in power relations between women and men. Violence against women and girls violates their fundamental rights to life, liberty, physical and moral integrity, equality and dignity.”

Likewise, the commitment of the institutions is reaffirmed in the face of the negationist approaches of male violence and an appeal is made to all administrations and society as a whole to maintain this struggle from unity and firmness, moving towards a more just, egalitarian and violence-free society against women.

Resources of Assistance

The Ministry of Equality, through the Government Delegation against Gender Violence, recalls that telephone 016, online consultations through email 016-online@igualdad.gob.es, the WhatsApp channel on the number 600 000 016 and the online chat available on the web violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es, operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The 016 provides advice on available remedies and the rights of victims of all forms of violence against women, as well as legal advice from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day of the week, with care in 53 languages and a service adapted to possible situations of disability.

In case of emergency, you can call 112 or the telephone numbers of the National Police (091) and the Civil Guard (062). If it is not possible to make a call, in a situation of danger the ALERTCOPS application can be used, which sends an alert signal with geolocation to the State Security Forces and Bodies.

These means can be activated by the victim and also by anyone who knows or suspects of a case of gender violence, since the eradication of this violence is a collective responsibility.