Lucia Perez‘s death has led to a series of protests dubbed “Black Wednesday” all around the world. Perez, a 16-year-old Argentinian, was kidnapped, and her tortured body was discovered on October 8.
According to Argentinian police, the teenager was drugged with marijuana and cocaine. It is believed that she was sexually assaulted by several men and was sodomized with a foreign object, which might have caused internal bleeding and led to her death.
The prosecutor on the case, Maria Isabel Sanchez, was so distraught that she had difficulties talking to local reporters. Sanchez explained that the criminals, who murdered the teenager, cleaned her up before dropping off the body at a local clinic and fleeing. The official stated:
“I know it’s not very professional to say this, but I am a mother and a woman and I have seen a thousand things in my career, but never anything equal to this litany of abhorrent acts.”
Wednesday was called “Miercoles Negro” and thousands of people dressed in black took part in protests in 80 Argentinian cities and 58 others worldwide, according to organizers. The protesters wanted to shed light on the brutal gang-rape and death of the young woman and call to an end to such barbaric treatment of women.
The march organizers urged working women in Argentina to participate in a one-hour “women’s strike, in your office, school, hospital, law court, newsroom, shop, factory, or wherever you are working, stop for an hour to demand ‘no more machista violence.” Lucia’s mother, Marta, told local media:
“We can’t understand such barbarity. It’s impossible to understand.”
Lucia’s father, Guillermo, added:
“The way they killed her was inhuman.”
Three people involved in the horrific murder have been arrested. Americans were shocked to their core by this tragedy and commenters on social media are hoping that justice will be served.