Woman in Exile Accuses Mexican Authorities of Institutional Violence in Attempted Femicide Case

Tulum, Quintana Roo — A woman who fled Mexico after death threats is calling on state authorities to intervene in her attempted femicide case, alleging institutional violence and judicial delays that have left her without justice for nearly three years.

Megan A.R. says she was forced into exile with her daughter after authorities downgraded charges against her alleged attacker and opened new investigations using false evidence. She has appealed directly to Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama to review what she calls systematic failures in her case.

On May 19, 2023, Megan filed a complaint with the State Prosecutor’s Office against José Fernando J.S. for attempted femicide. The case, registered as Investigation File FGE/QROO/AMPTUL/FEF/05/1/2023, included medical reports, psychological evaluations, images, and audio recordings documenting assaults, strangulation, and threats.

Despite this evidence, Specialized Femicide Prosecutor Mariana Gutiérrez Pérez reclassified the case as domestic violence, omitting a key audio analysis that reportedly captured physical abuse while Megan held her daughter. This decision halted the attempted femicide prosecution and prevented charges against the alleged aggressor.

“The Tulum Prosecutor’s Office opened new investigation files that disregard the evidence presented and instead seek to reverse my victim status and implicate me in other crimes,” Megan said from exile.

The case took three years to reach the Tulum District Judicial Control Court, where on February 3, Judge Luis Ernesto Gabourel García dismissed the attempted femicide charges, denied protective measures, and refused to transfer the matter to a specialized violence against women court. The judge later rejected an appeal for review.

Megan noted that the accused, José Fernando J.S., has a history of violent behavior, including a 2012 case where he faced common law charges for illegal deprivation of liberty against a minor who accused him of repeated pistol-whipping.

On October 21, 2025, the court denied requested protective measures, minimizing documented injuries, threats, psychological evaluations, and forced displacement.

Megan is now urging Governor Lezama to activate institutional mechanisms to review prosecutorial and judicial actions in her case, ensuring it receives proper gender perspective analysis and strict legal adherence.