Benaguasil, Spain: Man kills partner and stepson, then himself

Three bodies found in a Benaguasil villa; no prior entry in the Viogen system

A 64-year-old man allegedly shot dead his 55-year-old partner and her 26-year-old son in a detached house in Benaguasil (Valencia), then took his own life with the same shotgun. The three bodies were discovered at the residence, located in a rural area about three kilometers from the town center, near the CV-50 motorway and some greenhouses. The Civil Guard assumed responsibility for the investigation, and the Llíria Court of Instruction declared the proceedings confidential. According to initial reports, the case was not registered in the gender violence monitoring system.

The incident, first reported by Las Provincias and confirmed by sources close to the investigation, adds to a statistic that was already breaking records: with this death, the number of women murdered in Spain rose to 13 so far in 2024 and to 1,257 since 2003. The perpetrator held Spanish nationality; the woman and her son were Romanian nationals. The Civil Guard cordoned off the area, and the forensic team arrived around 7:00 PM.

What is known about the triple murder in Benaguasil

The events occurred in the afternoon. Around 3:00 PM, an alert was received, and patrols from the Civil Guard and the Benaguasil Local Police rushed to the scene. Inside the family home, they found the bodies with gunshot wounds and the weapon. The 64-year-old man reportedly used the same shotgun to kill his 55-year-old partner and her 26-year-old son before taking his own life. The municipality, part of the Valencia metropolitan area, places the dwelling in a scattered settlement near a scrapyard.

The legal classification of the case remained uncertain from the start. The initial description emphasizes that there were no previous records in the Viogen system, which opens the possibility of it being processed as gender-based violence or otherwise. Some frame it directly under the category of extended suicide —killing one's relatives and then oneself— a figure that does not count towards gender statistics. Consequently, the official count of women killed by partners or ex-partners depends on how each case file is closed.

The battle over figures: total homicides versus gender-based violence

The first point of friction was statistical. One line of analysis argues that media focus on gender-based violence obscures other homicides: the murdered stepson would not appear in any specific counter, nor would the suicide. The underlying accusation is that crime statistics are manipulated just like unemployment figures, selecting what is counted and what is ignored.

On the other side lies a simple argument: registries do not prevent crimes. If there were more police and more prisons, would there be fewer murders? This question was posed without an answer. What available data does confirm is that the Viogen system did not detect prior risk in this case, fueling the thesis that the protection mechanism fails by design: it only sees what someone reports beforehand.

The aggressor's profile and the narrative that doesn't fit

Another current focused on nationality. That the man was Spanish while the woman and son were Romanian generated suspicion: it was argued that specifying the perpetrator's origin sought to fit the case into a concrete profile. The alternative hypothesis circulating —that he was a naturalized Spaniard— is not supported by any source. It is speculation.

The psychological profile was also debated. The use of a shotgun and the subsequent suicide were interpreted as markers of a rural and solitary pattern, unlike other aggressor profiles typically seen in the media. The question of whether he was sane or if labeling him simply as sens suffices remains unanswered, buried under the secrecy of the summary.

Economic background: cohabitation, dependency, and partnership rights

The discussion shifted to an issue with greater reach: the economics of late-life partnerships. Several analyses pointed to the material exchange that occurs when an older man living alone pairs up with a younger woman who brings children. It is argued that he seeks company and care; she, stability. The problem arises when the relationship breaks down: according to a circulating calculation, after cohabitation, a financial obligation towards the ex-partner may arise, along with additional responsibilities regarding her children.

From this emerged the most repeated thesis: living with someone who brings children from another relationship is costly, both financially and mentally. The recurring recommendation is chosen solitude over forced cohabitation. It is a diagnosis lacking official supporting data, but with a logic many recognize: at 64, the margin for error is small, and the cost of making a mistake is definitive.

What happens to the Viogen system when there is no prior report

The Benaguasil case illustrates a known limitation of the system: it only registers what is reported. Without a prior complaint, there is no record, no trinc-up, and no protection. The debate moved towards whether the State should protect ex officio or only upon request, and towards the strategic use of gender violence laws in separation disputes. There is no consensus. What exists is a triple murder, a weapon, three bodies, and a file under seal.

With these elements, it is foreseeable that the case will be closed as gender-based violence if the instruction confirms it, or as extended suicide if it does not. The difference is not semantic: it changes the statistics, the narrative, and who appears responsible. Meanwhile, the 2024 counter continues to rise.