#simematan

I want to share this in English because I think this is very relevant to every women out there.

On May 3rd, the body of Lesvy Berlin Rivera Osorio was found inside one of UNAM’s campus on Mexico city. She was left propped on a phone booth, strangled with the cord of the public phone around her neck. She was 22 years old.

The PGJ (not sure how to translate but it’s something like the General Court of Justice prosecutor) recently released a statement that was brought up based on several interviews with people that were close to Lesvy, including her boyfriend.

They were very good at mentioning that Lesvy had not been attending classes as she had dropped out of school recently.

They were very good at mentioning that she drank.

They were very good at mentioning that she lived with her boyfriend outside of marriage.

They were very good at mentioning that the night she was murdered she had been out with friends probably either drinking or doing drugs.

They were very good at mentioning that she dared to be outside, alone, at night.

They were very good at pinning the blame of a murder case on the victim herself, but they were no closer to finding the actual perpetrator. (You know, the person who ACTUALLY STRANGLED HER WITH A PHONE CORD?)

They used the phrase “found dead” instead of calling it what it really was: MURDER.

They made no mention whatsoever of her boyfriend being a suspect, despite the fact that he was the last person to see her alive, that they had attended the same party that night, and that they had a fight right before her murder after which (according to him) they parted ways angrily.

I’m not saying he is guilty, but perhaps if she had been a “good girl, grade A student” she would deserve justice and a proper investigation of her death instead of the PGJ violating the confidentiality of a still ongoing investigation by releasing these personal facts Lesvy in the media, as if that justified her murder?

I am tired of this and I’ve been holding back tears all day.

WE ARE BEING MURDERED, AND THE BLAME IS PUT ON US.

Violence against women happens everywhere, not just in distant places. Lesvy was killed in the middle of a college campus.

If you were killed, what facts about your imperfect life do you think they would bring up on the statements, on the news media?

This is how the hashtag #SiMeMatan (If I’m murdered) began. Because it seems to be always our fault, for being at the wrong place, with the wrong clothes, or at the wrong time (things not fit for “proper ladies”) and never the fault of the person perpetrating the crime.

Back when I saw Kelly Oxford’s hashtag about sharing our stories of harassment I remembered a similar movement that was made in Latin America a bit earlier called #MiPrimerAcoso (my first harassment) I realized that we face the same struggles, regardless of what language we speak.

This is why I’m writing this now, because I think you should know about Lesvy’s story and we should all be heard.

So here goes mine:

If I’m murdered:

It would be because I lived by myself in my apartment. It would be because I confront people that catcall me on the street. It would be because I like wearing knee high boots and stockings. It would be because I dyed my hair a lot in whacky colors. It would be because I hang out more with men than women. It would be because I go out alone at night without the company of a man. It would be because I drink when I go out. It would be because I was flirty and friendly to everyone. It would be because choose to have sex without being married.

You know what the worst part is about this?

That every woman who is tweeting this hashtag is very well aware that they could be next, and that the official responses might not be too different from Lesvy’s case.

Heck, even women that have marched in outrage at UNAM and women that have tweeted disgust at what happened have started receiving threats online.

Probablemente dirán, aún después de 2 años, que nunca debí haberme ido de mi casa a vivir sola porque entonces seguiría viva. Porque no fui lo suficientemente fuerte para defenderme y porque me arriesgué por un “capricho” de ya no tener que atenerme a las reglas de una casa. Porque claramente yo no me salí de la casa de mis papás para independizarme y valerme por mi misma ya que las mujeres no nacimos para eso, dicen. Si me matan van a decir que es mi culpa por andar de rebelde en una ciudad que no conozco dejando que la gente se aproveche de mí. O dirán que yo quise morirme por no buscar ayuda, porque soy mujer y “no puedo sola”.

Algún día vamos a explotar y se va a ir todo al carajo. 

"Carta de una mujer con miedo"