Woman who killed rapist during attack gets 6 years
A Mexican woman who killed a man while defending herself when he attacked and raped her in 2021 has been sentenced to more than six years in prison, a decision that her legal defence called “discriminatory” and vowed to appeal.
The ruling against Roxana Ruiz spurred anger from experts and feminist groups who said it spoke to the depth of gender-based violence and Mexico’s poor record of bringing perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.
“It would be a bad precedent if this sentence were to hold. It’s sending the message to women that, you know what, the law says you can defend yourself, but only to a point,” said Angel Carrera, her defence lawyer.
“He raped you, but you don’t have the right to do anything.”
Associated Press does not normally identify sexual assault victims, but Ruiz has given her permission to be identified and takes part in public demonstrations led by activists who support her.
While the Mexico State court found on Monday that Ruiz had been raped, it said the 23-year-old was guilty of homicide with “excessive use of legitimate defence”, adding hitting the man in the head would have been enough to defend herself. Ruiz was also ordered to pay more than US$16,000 in reparations to the family of the man who raped her.
In May 2021, Ruiz was working selling French fries in Nezahualcoyotl, one of the 11 municipalities in Mexico State with an ongoing gender alert for femicides and another one for forced disappearances of women.
While having a beer with a friend, Ruiz, a single mother from Oaxaca state, met a man she had seen around the neighbourhood. After hanging out, he offered to walk her home and later asked to stay the night because it was late and he was far from home.
Ruiz agreed to let him sleep on a mattress on the floor. But while she slept he climbed onto her bed, hit her, tore off her clothes and raped her, according to Carrera.
Ruiz fought back, hitting him on the nose, and he threatened to kill her. In the struggle to free herself she killed him in self-defence, Carrera said.
In a panic, Ruiz put the man’s body in a bag and dragged it out to the street where passing police arrested her.
Despite her telling police she had been raped, Carrera said, a forensic exam was never taken, a crucial step in prosecuting sexual violence cases.
Despite the sentencing, Ruiz still remains free pending further judicial steps.