During Women’s History Month, the best gift we could receive is a world free of all forms of violence, where girls, teenagers, and women don’t have to watch out for one another to avoid being attacked by a man.
May the statistics on femicides in Colombia stop rising, and may women stop being just another number to be remembered solely because they were victims of some form of physical or psychological abuse.
On September 22, 2025, Karina Rincón was struck 24 times with a hammer—4 times in the face and 20 times in the skull—by her former partner and father of her 5-year-old daughter, José Urbano Medina.
After celebrating her birthday, Karina was getting to her apartment in Fontibón, in Bogotá’s westside, when she suddenly felt the weapon’s impact on her back. It was Medina, who attacked her while her daughter was sleeping.
“I screamed and cried for help, but my baby, thank God, didn’t wake up”, she said in an interview with Caracol Televisión.
The victim tried to escape to protect her daughter. “At that moment, only one thought came to my mind. My mind went blank, and I thought, ‘I’m not going to die; I’m not going to die today. I’m my baby’s mother, and I’m going to stay alive’”.
After the attack, the assailant fled. Neighbors heard the victim’s dog barking incessantly, and a security guard found the young woman, practically without vital signs, but she was immediately taken to Kennedy Hospital.
Before fleeing, the attacker called Karina’s mother to tell her that he had left her dead in the apartment, unaware that that wasn’t the case and that she had survived and was fighting for her life.
The 35-year-old woman spent 10 days in intensive care after undergoing several cranial reconstruction surgeries and oral rehabilitation. “We performed imaging and found that she had multiple fractures in the frontal region of her skull, so she was immediately taken to surgery. It was an extensive surgery, lasting about 10 hours, as it was necessary to reconstruct part of her frontal bone and occipital bone; the bone splinter was removed, and multiple washouts were performed”, explained the hospital director, Rodolfo Duarte.
The assailant pulled out Karina’s teeth while she was unconscious, so a dental clinic donated dentures to her. “This is the first step toward restoring her confidence and helping her with jaw rehabilitation so she can speak, eat, and feel a little more able to return to her normal activities”, said maxillofacial surgeon Paola Osorio.
According to the prosecutor handling the case, when José Urbano Medina lived with Karina, he subjected her to cycles of violence and control. The attacker frequently locked her in a room to sexually abuse her.
The victim reported that her ex-partner was jealous and possessive, and that when he drank alcohol, he turned into a monster. She reported him on several occasions for incidents of domestic violence without receiving any effective institutional response until the brutal attack occurred.
The legal proceedings against Urbano are based on the charge of attempted aggravated femicide.
During the hearing, the DA’s Office noted that, consequently, given the severity of the acts and the history of violence, the sentence could reach up to 40 years in prison. In addition to this, the sentence is estimated to be 30 years depending on the final classification and whether the charges are accepted or denied.
The trial is scheduled to begin in May of this year, a decision that keeps social organizations supporting the victim’s family on edge.
Karina Rincón has issued a public appeal for solidarity to help cover the high medical and rehabilitation costs necessary for her physical and psychological recovery following the attack.
“I have a scar on my mouth that goes all the way up to my nose. I had a complete forehead reconstruction with a titanium implant because the bone and skull were completely shattered. It’s been a very difficult process, but I’m grateful to everyone who has helped”, Karina told Caracol.
And although the physical wounds have healed, the process of telling her daughter what happened has been quite difficult. Karina says that her daughter has been her true source of strength and that, in order to address the issue with her, she first had to consult with a child psychologist. “What happened had to be explained to her in a gentle way, especially since it’s her dad—she would ask about her dad”, the mother confirmed.
These past few months have been very difficult for both her and her family, but she feels that her testimony serves a purpose. “I’ve created an organization named after myself, Karina Rincón, through which I aim to provide support to women who have been victims of any type of domestic violence or assault, whether it was an attempted femicide or not. I want to empower not only them, but also their families”, added the survivor.
Ongoing Proceedings
José Urbano Medina, 51, was charged with the crime of attempted aggravated femicide. His mocking attitude during the hearings has been questioned by the defense and the victims’ representative, Ricardo Burgos, who shared his position on the case.
“We must also question the decision of wanting to replace the prosecutor handling the case and transfer her to another city, especially since we don’t understand why. She is a prosecutor who has handled the case swiftly and effectively. Furthermore, during the arraignment hearing and the victim’s testimony, the perpetrator appeared indifferent, mocking, and disrespectful toward her testimony”, he emphasized.
Urbano didn’t accept the charges, and his criminal proceedings are in the preliminary stage. The Attorney General’s Office and the defense are requesting for Karina’s case to be considered a wake-up call regarding protection and prevention mechanisms in cases of gender-based violence, after confirming that, despite the victim’s repeated complaints against the perpetrator, no effective measures were taken prior to the attempted femicide.
Like this one, there are many other cases where, sadly, there are no survivors and the aggressors continue to walk with their heads held high as if nothing had happened. We need the justice system to be more effective and for preventive measures to be truly enforced so that these tragic events don’t continue to occur.
Don’t become part of these stories of violence; it could be you, your sister, your cousin, your niece, your aunt, your daughter, a friend, or any other woman who could be attacked simply for being a woman.
Traducción del español: Catalina Oviedo Brugés
