What Is Femicide? Mexican Influencer Valeria Marquez's Death Sparks Probe

In a bizarre case from Mexico, an influencer was shot dead during a livestream. The 23-year-old Mexican TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez, who had over 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, was allegedly shot dead in her beauty salon. Valeria's beauty salon is located in the city of Guadalajara. According to the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office, the case is being treated as femicide—a situation where women are killed because of their gender. However, evidence supporting this motive is yet to be discovered.

According to the United Nations, around 10 women are killed every day in Mexico by their partners or family members. Gender-based violence remains a deeply concerning issue in the country.

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All We Know About The Suspected Femicide Case

According to the Prosecutor's Office, moments before her death, Valeria Marquez was sitting in her beauty salon livestreaming. While she was broadcasting, a bullet was fired at her. At first, some of her viewers thought it might be a prank. But it wasn’t. The livestream continued until a not-so-familiar face finally picked up the phone and ended it.

Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time and confirmed her death. No suspect has been named by the Prosecutor's Office yet. Fans of Valeria Marquez have expressed horror and grief following the tragic news.

According to news agency AFP, Mayor of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Valeria Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "femicide is the worst thing."

The state office has revealed that police are actively investigating the incident.

Amnesty International cited that one in four female killings in Mexico in 2020 were probed as femicides, reports Hindustan Times

The psychology behind femicide details how men who commit such crimes may feel entitled to control women’s lives, or punish them for asserting independence, rejecting advances, or, as in Valeria’s case, simply being seen and successful in public.

As a TikTok and beauty entrepreneur, Valeria had amassed over 149,000 followers on Instagram and more than 114,000 on TikTok. Just before her death, she posted a mirror selfie to her Instagram Stories alongside photos and modelling shots.