Shanquella Robinson’s death is being investigated as a femicide, a crime that only 16 countries recognize despite gender-based violence being a global issue

The death of 25-year-old Shanquella Robinson on October 29, while she was on vacation with six others in Mexico, stunned the US.

Just one day before her death, Robinson, who had previously studied at Winston-Salem State University, an historically black college and university in North Carolina, was exclusively in San José del Cabo, Mexico.

In the background, a voice can be heard saying, “Quella, can you at least defend yourself?” She was naked while being beaten in early November videos of her, but the names of the people she went to Mexico with, who claimed she died of alcohol poisoning, have not been released.

Her cause of death, as disclosed in an autopsy report on November 10, was determined to be a severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation, which resulted in a broken neck and a cracked spine.

Calls for fairness reverberated among Black users on social media, attracting more attention to her premature death.

CNN has reported that an arrest warrant has been issued by Mexican prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in relation to femicide, which is also known as gender-based homicide, while they investigate her death.

Ivana Milovanović, a Serbian judge, clarified to UN Women that femicide is distinct from other types of homicide as it specifically entails the targeted killing of a woman solely based on her gender.

This indicates that the root causes of femicide, which differ from other types of murder, are related to the general position of women in society and the unequal distribution of power between men and women. Women are against violence, prejudices, and gender stereotypes that are habitual towards women.

In addition to murder, governments are advocating for the acknowledgment of femicide as a criminal offense in order to combat violence based on gender. Advocates worldwide, including in Canada and Latin American nations, are advocating for this acknowledgment. The United States is among the countries that do not distinguish between femicide and homicide. The overwhelming majority of countries do not make a distinction between the two.

Female homicide in Mexico can be considered femicide, which refers to the killing of a woman due to a trusting or sentimental relationship with the perpetrator, as evidenced by prior instances of sexual violence towards the victim. The organization Humanity of Vision displays this information publicly on their website.

According to the World Health Organization, the majority of instances of femicide are perpetrated by spouses or former spouses and encompass enduring mistreatment within the household, instances of coercion or intimidation, sexual aggression, or circumstances where women possess less authority or limited means in comparison to their significant other.

It’s uncertain what precisely prompted the attorney general in Baja California Sur to investigate Robinson’s death as femicide.

Daniel de la Rosa Anaya, the attorney general for the state of Baja California Sur, expressed that the altercation was not merely a dispute but rather a clear act of aggression.

“There are two Americans involved, the victim and the perpetrator,” he added.

According to The Daily Beast, if investigators determine that Robinson’s death does not align with the femicide classification, it will subsequently be reclassified as a homicide.

In 2021, as stated by Amnesty International, a minimum of 10 women were murdered every day. Despite recognizing the issue of femicide in Mexico, the nation continues to grapple with acts of violence based on gender.

According to Beatriz García Nice, the project lead for Wilson Center’s gender-based violence initiative, “And that’s one of the reasons why we observe that rates are still exceedingly high,” there is actually not a significant possibility for you to be convicted if you perpetrate a femicide crime.

#JusticeForShanquellaRobinson

The owner of a hair-braiding business called Babies Exquisite, Robinson, has received support from 31,479 worth signatures and more than $396,000 from her family.

“She possessed a compassionate nature. She adored life and cherished individuals,” Robinson’s mother, Salamondra, informed The Washington Post.

Salamondra said, “Even though a month has passed, I don’t know anything about how my daughter died.” She added that the claim of alcohol poisoning by Robinson was false, which was quite surprising.

Bernard, Robinson’s father, informed the Post, “She was my sole offspring. I simply desire fairness for my daughter. I have numerous unresolved inquiries regarding her demise.”

The FBI declined to provide further comments to Insider since the ongoing investigation into the Robinson family in Baja California Sur, Mexico.