A 41-year-old woman, fatally stabbed last Saturday in Esplugues de Llobregat, was leaving her home in the Finestrelles neighbourhood to go to work at a Barcelona restaurant when she was attacked. The incident occurred just metres from the bus stop she intended to use.
The victim, who would have turned 42 in a few months, had emigrated from China only a year ago and had not lived in any other country. She was a partner in the Barcelona restaurant, along with other individuals of Chinese origin, and had only been commuting to the establishment for three days, according to her associates. Friends and family remembered her as a "very pleasant and smiling" person, noting that "in all her photos, she is always seen smiling."
Community Shock and Support
José Luis Pardo, a Finestrelles resident who tried to help the victim and was also attacked by the assailant, described his emotional distress. "The feeling of not having been able to save her life is terrible, it leaves you very emotionally affected," he said. Pardo, who did not know the victim personally, has been supporting her friends and family since the crime. He relayed their confusion, stating, "Friends do not understand why someone would kill another person without apparent motivation; they keep asking why this happened." Pardo found it "incomprehensible" that such events could occur in a country considered safe.
Sources close to the investigation, which remains under a secrecy order, indicated that the victim was not carrying identification when she was killed. Investigators believe the attacker may have chosen the woman at random. Officials from Esplugues City Council confirmed they are working with the victim's cousin to provide "constant monitoring and psychological support" to her acquaintances. They are also offering assistance with necessary procedures, including repatriation of the body or travel arrangements for family members from China.
Repatriation Challenges
The victim had few direct family ties in Spain, beyond her cousin and a close friend living in Vallès. Her parents, who are elderly, remain in China. "The father cannot come; he is in China, and they need to complete procedures for him to travel to Spain," her friends explained. The cousin has requested to see the victim's body. Pardo clarified that while this relative is considered a 'third cousin' in Spain, such a relationship holds much greater importance in China. However, the lack of a direct family link in Spain complicates and slows down already complex procedures, further hindered by language barriers. "They ask for all this to be made as easy as possible; they feel devastated and helpless," Pardo added.
Friends of the victim are scheduled to meet with municipal technicians this Wednesday to continue with the procedures and decide whether to accept the psychological support offered by the city council. Additionally, the council has called a meeting with the Finestrelles neighbourhood association for Wednesday. Residents, still shaken by the brutal murder, are calling for more police patrols in their usually quiet streets.
