Spanish man kills partner and daughter, injures another in Alicante; suspect in custody
A 53-year-old man allegedly stabbed his partner and one daughter to death and wounded a second daughter in their home near Alicante on Thursday evening. The suspect is in hospital under police guard.
What happened
On Thursday evening, a 53-year-old man allegedly killed his partner, Lourdes, 51, and their daughter Lucía, 20, with a knife at the family's chalet in La Cañada del Fenollar, a rural area about 10 km from Alicante. A second daughter, aged 26, survived the attack and called emergency services at 19:40, telling operators she suspected her father had killed her mother. When Guardia Civil officers arrived, they found the bodies of the two women, the injured daughter, and the suspect, who had self-inflicted knife wounds.
Both the daughter and the suspect were taken to hospital. The daughter is at Hospital General Balmis and her life is not in danger. The suspect was treated at Sant Joan d'Alacant hospital, discharged on Friday morning, and is now in Guardia Civil custody awaiting a court appearance.
- Daughter calls 112, reporting suspicion that father killed mother.
- Guardia Civil arrives, finds two dead women and two injured.
- Injured daughter and suspect taken to separate hospitals.
- Suspect discharged, transferred to Guardia Civil custody.
- Alicante city hall holds three-minute silence.
Investigation
Authorities are treating the case as a possible gender violence crime. The Government Delegation against Gender Violence is gathering data, and the Guardia Civil has not ruled out transferring the case to a specialised Violence against Women court. No prior complaints or records exist in the VioGén monitoring system between the suspect and the deceased woman. All family members are Spanish nationals.
Reactions
Pilar Bernabé, the central government's delegate in the Valencian Community, condemned the killings and called for social and political unity against what she described as "terrorism against women".
Complaints from victims and their surroundings are essential to stop this scourge.
Alicante city hall held a three-minute silence at midday on Friday in repudiation of the murders.
Broader context
If confirmed as gender violence, this would be the fourth such killing of a woman by her partner or ex-partner in the Valencian Community so far in 2026. The case has reignited calls for stronger prevention measures, with officials stressing the importance of reporting even when no prior official warnings exist.
