Teen Girl Tragically Stabbed to Death by Boyfriend in Cuba: What We Know So Far

In a devastating incident on December 5, a 17-year-old girl was fatally stabbed by her boyfriend at her home in the rural settlement of Finca Alcancía, located in Jovellanos, Matanzas province, Cuba.

The victim, Heidi García Orosco, a high school student, was still in her school uniform from Pedro Pablo Rivera Cué Urban Pre-University Institute when the attack occurred, as confirmed by Cuban feminist organizations.

The Observatorio de Género Alas Tensas (OGAT) and the platform YoSíTeCreo en Cuba (YSTCC), which verified the incident, expressed sorrow over the tragic event and emphasized the alarming fact that the victim was a minor.

A Deadly Domestic Space

"We highlight this case because Heidi was a minor, a heartbreaking reality that repeats each year with victims in their youth," OGAT stated via their social media channels.

According to reports, the murder took place around 2 p.m. when Heidi was attacked inside her home, allegedly by her boyfriend, in an act that starkly demonstrates the lethal nature of domestic spaces for many Cuban women.

After committing the crime, the perpetrator fled the scene but was later found by his father, who handed him over to the police authorities.

The incident has left the community reeling. "The community and the family, especially her mother, are deeply affected by the loss of a beloved young girl," said Ileana Álvarez, director of OGAT.

Escalating Pattern of Intimate Partner Violence

Heidi's murder is not an isolated event but part of a rising pattern of femicide in Cuba. The latest report from OGAT shows that in 2024, 76.8% of femicides targeted women aged 15 to 45, with 17 of the 56 verified cases involving women aged 15 to 30.

“The home remains the most dangerous place for many women. The murder of Heidi García Orosco underscores this pattern of intimate partner femicide in the home, affecting young women in a context of structural neglect,” Álvarez warned.

In fact, 55.4% of the femicides recorded in 2024 occurred in the victims' homes or shared residences with the aggressor, a statistic that holds true in Heidi's case.

This femicide marks the 43rd recorded in 2025, according to the joint register of OGAT and YSTCC. By December 8, both organizations had also documented 11 attempted femicides, one gender-related murder of a man, and three cases under investigation involving Hilda Puig Peña, Nieves Rosa Castrillo Núñez, and Fredesvinda Zaida Pérez Poey.

Investigations into new violent incidents resembling femicide are underway in Santiago de Cuba (1), Camagüey (2), Artemisa (2), Villa Clara (1), and Granma (1).

Exposing a Broader Social Crisis

Beyond these structural patterns, the case also sheds light on a broader social crisis linked to the erosion of values among Cuban youth, increasing social indiscipline, drug abuse, and a lack of future prospects, all leading to more violent behaviors.

For the observatories, Heidi's murder adds to a painful list of lost lives, demanding urgent responses from the state.

"These events have been reported by the media, citizens, and activists and verified with community sources through the joint effort of OGAT and YSTCC," stated Alas Tensas, reaffirming their commitment to citizen monitoring of gender violence.

The feminist organization concluded their statement with a clear call to action: "Citizens, reporting these crimes is not a crime!"

Amid the absence of comprehensive legislation against gender violence in Cuba, platforms like OGAT and YSTCC stress the necessity of bringing these cases to light, breaking the silence, and generating social and institutional pressure for effective public policies in prevention, support, and justice.