Government moves to join prosecution
The Generalitat is seeking to formally join the criminal case over the gender-based murder of Kimberli Duran in Figueres on 19 May 2026 as an acusació popular (public accuser), pending consent from the victim’s family. Equality and Feminism Minister Eva Menor confirmed the government is awaiting the legally required family approval before proceeding. This step follows intense scrutiny over whether all available protection mechanisms were activated in the 72 hours before Duran was fatally stabbed in Plaça Josep Tarradellas. The suspect, her former partner, had been arrested twice in the two days prior and had breached a court-ordered restraining order. He was released provisionally hours before the attack.
Protocols under review
Menor also revealed that the Generalitat is reviewing its risk prevention and protection protocols, particularly concerning repeat offenders and those who violate judicial protection measures. The review is being conducted through the Feminicide Analysis Committee, which includes representatives from Equality, Justice, Interior, Health, Education, and Social Rights departments. The committee is awaiting a report from the Department of Justice and Democratic Quality to assess current protocols for handling aggressors with histories of breaching protection orders. The government aims to improve short-term risk assessment of violent acts by partners or ex-partners, update classification criteria, and integrate new methodologies to increase risk evaluation accuracy.
The goal is to better assess the short-term risk of serious violent acts,
said Menor. The Mossos d'Esquadra are also updating their police risk assessment questionnaire (QPVR), a tool used to evaluate the likelihood of extreme physical violence against gender violence victims. This revision began in 2025 and is not a direct response to the Figueres case.
Institutional response and ongoing scrutiny
Two days after the murder, on 21 May, a municipal and regional crisis cabinet was convened in Figueres. It produced a report detailing services involved and actions taken before and after the killing. The case has prompted wider institutional reflection. In July 2026, Catalonia’s Public Prosecutor acknowledged it was questionable that no precautionary measures were requested against the suspect before the crime, though it did not formally label this an error. The police report noted the suspect had told an officer he would kill Duran upon release. Despite this, the prosecution did not request pre-trial detention, and the on-duty judge did not summon a hearing to consider such measures. The Girona Prosecutorial Board later urged prosecutors to exercise heightened vigilance in similar cases. The Generalitat has not concluded that any specific error occurred in the police, judicial, or support response to Duran. However, it has committed to strengthening tools for professionals supporting victims and ensuring permanent protocol updates based on ongoing analysis of femicides.
Femicides constitute the most extreme form of gender-based violence and demand an agile, comprehensive, and coordinated institutional response,
the government stated.
Primary sources: mpr.gob.es. Reported by elperiodico.com, Uap FGE, El Periódico (CA).
