Feminists Demand Probe After Guard Freed in Ana Gómez Femicide

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The feminist collective Xtabay Quintana Roo has demanded an immediate investigation into the conduct of Judge Carlos Alejandro Lima Carvajal, head of the Ninth Specialized Criminal Court of Quintana Roo’s Judiciary, following his decision to release security guard Carlos Alberto N due to insufficient evidence linking him to the femicide of Ana Gómez, a worker at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Aventuras in December 2020.

Allegations of Judicial Irregularities

In a statement, the collective called for a review of the case file to ensure the alleged perpetrator does not evade justice and urged the judiciary to "stop being complicit in misogynistic violence."

"In Mexico, if you are a woman and are murdered, there is a 99% chance your case will go unpunished. But if you are a lucky femicide, you might even get a judge like Carlos Alejandro Lima Carvajal of Quintana Roo’s Ninth Specialized Criminal Court, willing to open the door for you… even with videos, testimonies, and your own confession in play," the group asserted.

The collective maintains that Carlos Alberto N is a self-confessed femicide, initially sentenced to 25 years for the brutal murder of Ana Gómez but now free due to the judge’s ruling.

"According to the judge, there isn’t enough evidence. It doesn’t matter that cameras recorded him stalking Ana. It doesn’t matter what witnesses say. It doesn’t matter that he himself admitted, ‘I needed a woman… the devil got the better of me,’" the statement continued.

Case Background

The original investigation determined that on December 18, 2020, Gómez was followed into a jungle area near the hotel, beaten against a sapote tree, and strangled. Her body was found 10 days later. The case mobilized advocacy groups and coworkers, who demanded justice and initially secured a conviction.

However, the defense argued that the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE) mishandled the case file, leading Judge Lima Carvajal to overturn the sentence and order the defendant’s release.

"It seems that in this country, women’s lives are as disposable as poorly compiled case files, and the message is clear: murdering women comes at no cost… if you find the right judge," the collective stated, notably without questioning the FGE’s handling of the case.

The group has called for accountability to prevent further impunity in gender-based violence cases.