The director of the Gender Equity Observatory, Stephanie Figueroa, called on women facing violence to seek help immediately, saying the recent shooting of a medical office employee in Villalba should alert both people living under patterns of violence and workplaces, which must establish security protocols. The 49-year-old woman, shot by her presumed ex-partner, remains in critical condition at the Río Piedras Medical Center.
Figueroa warned that a pattern of power and control can escalate to femicide without any prior physical aggression, and stressed that employees should notify their employer of any risk situation so protection mechanisms can be activated. She clarified that a protection order is not required for an employer to implement a protocol. The organization Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres developed a guide protocol as a tool for workplaces to create plans protecting employees and the rest of the staff.
So far in 2026, 52 femicides have been reported in Puerto Rico, ten of them classified as intimate, along with 98 attempted femicides. Despite this situation, feminist and victim-support organizations face cuts to state funding; with more resources they could expand the availability of lawyers and psychologists to accompany victims through their process of leaving the cycle of violence.