Amid a wave of violence against women in Mexico, a 26-year-old man has been accused of dousing his teenage girlfriend in solvent and setting her on fire.
The suspect is facing a charge of attempted murder in the incident that took place on July 1 in Chimalhuacan, in the central Mexican State of Mexico. He has been identified only as Jesus N, according to a press release from the Attorney General of Justice of the State of Mexico.
The man and his 18-year-old girlfriend, who has not been named, were in a house in the neighborhood of Tejedores when, for an unknown reason, Jesus N allegedly threw solvent over the teenager and set her on fire using a lighter, according to reports. The young woman survived, but her condition has not yet been reported.
The soaring number of incidents involving violence against women in Mexico has prompted outrage leading to massive protests and demands for government action.
In the first four months of this year, 987 confirmed homicides of women and girls have been reported in the country, according to government statistics.
“Despite longstanding efforts by activists for government action to stem these killings, the number of femicides has grown 137% over the past five years, according to the country’s national prosecutor, and reported by Human Rights Watch.
Jesus N is being held in the Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center in Nezahualcoyotl while he awaits trial.
(Edited by Judy Isacoff.)
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