A Spanish woman who was allegedly murdered by her former Moroccan boyfriend has been revealed to have been a volunteer for a Red Cross group which combats gender-based violence.
Late last month, 27-year-old Paula Solanas de Miguel was found dead in her apartment in the northern Spanish city of Santander. Police came to the scene after being called by her ex-boyfriend, 39-year-old Moroccan Nabil Khalissi, who reportedly confessed to killing her during the call.
According to a neighbour who heard the medical examiners leaving the scene of the crime, “They said something like it was horrifying and that they couldn’t remember seeing anything like it in a long time.”
At a protest in Santander over her death, it was revealed by some of her former colleagues that Solanas de Miguel was a volunteer for the Red Cross for over three years, including hosting workshops to educate children about equality and gender-based violence, which El Diario noted was “the same violence that ended her life at just 27 years old.”
“She was a really lovely girl, a super-active volunteer. She gave workshops to the youngest children at the ‘Veranuco’ summer schools, prepared materials, and was involved in every project she participated in,” a fellow volunteer said.
In a statement to Judge María del Sol González, Solanas de Miguel’s parents said that their daughter had begun a relationship with Khalissi around four years ago and that they had a child together, whom they have now adopted.
The parents said that he believed that their breakup was the motivation for the alleged murder, claiming that “Nabil was very controlling and possessive.”
They also asserted that their daughter’s behaviour had changed following the breakup, noting that while she was with Khalissi, she had stopped eating pork and had begun to wear baggy clothes.
“She started dressing more femininely again, going to concerts, having dinner with friends… it seemed like she was coming back to life. She also went back to school and had enrolled in Social Integration (Vocational Training).”
Following the testimony of Paula’s parents, Khalissi appeared before the court. However, he invoked his right to remain silent, and reportedly appeared “very cold” and expressed no emotions during the hearing.