At an extraordinary plenary session this morning, Tuesday January 10th, Adeje Town Hall unanimously voted to declare an official period of mourning following the brutal murder of Hayate, an Armeñime resident, on Sunday.
The period of mourning began today at midday and will last 24 hours until 12 noon tomorrow, Wednesday January 11th. All municipal leisure and sporting activities are suspended, including training, music, and cultural activities that are under municipal control, and flags on municipal buildings will fly at half-mast.
During the plenary session the mayor said that, “in the name of the people of Adeje we send a united and powerful message of our rejection of all kinds of violence, in particular violence against women.” In the first 10 days of this year four women have been murdered by men “and we need society to understand that we are repulsed by and condemn these deaths, and will do all that we can at institutional and society level to help victims and their families. In this case we are thinking specifically of the four children who have been affected by the loss of their mother”.
The proposal before the council was that “violence against women is a grave breach of human rights; domestic violence is the most lamentable expression of male chauvinism and is a primary social problem that is goes against all the norms of dignity and physical and moral integrity of the women who suffer”.
Mayor Fraga expressed his sympathies to the people of Armeñime and to the family and friends of the victim. He underlined the importance of continuing to push for the politics of equality “in the search for a solution to this problem and a way to eradicate domestic violence in general in our society”.
Following the plenary session, the councillors, council staff and members of the public held a minute’s silence which was also observed throughout the Canary Islands, a mark of the repulsion felt following the murder of Hayate.
Adeje council wishes to remind people that there are a number of ways of reporting domestic violence; by calling 016 (and no record of the call is listed on the bill), to accessing the information on the council webpage on how to escape a situation of domestic violence. Reports of domestic violence can be by a victim, family members, friends, neighbours, or anyone who is aware of the violence.
