Man arrested after transgender woman stabbed to death in Marbella, Spain's gender violence toll hits 36

The killing

A 36-year-old transgender woman was found with a severe chest wound at a home on Calle Castilla in San Pedro Alcántara, a district of Marbella, after the 112 Andalucía emergency service received a call at 16:15 on Monday, 10 August. Paramedics arrived to find the victim still barely alive but could only certify her death at the scene. The suspect, described by most sources as a 59-year-old man (ABC gives his age as 58), was the victim's partner and shared the same residence. According to ABC, he confessed to the killing upon the arrival of police officers, who detained him at the home. ABC also reports that the couple had frequent arguments and that the victim presented at least one extremely serious injury to the thorax.

Victim and investigation

The victim was a transgender woman who lived and was known socially as a woman, though ABC reports she had not legally changed her sex on official documents, meaning the administration still registered her as male. The discrepancy explains why some early police sources referred to the victim as a man. The Policía Nacional has taken charge of the investigation, which is being conducted under the framework of both domestic violence and gender violence. The victim's body was transferred to the Instituto Médico Legal de Málaga for an autopsy, which will determine the exact cause of death, the number of wounds, and the type of bladed weapon used. Police sources cited by eldiario.es confirmed the victim died from stab wounds in what they described as a suspected episode of gender violence. The suspect remains in police custody while investigative procedures continue.

National toll

The killing follows another confirmed gender violence murder in Benahavís, Málaga, on 21 July 2026. According to Ministry of Equality statistics cited by multiple sources, 36 women have been killed by their partners or ex-partners in Spain in 2026 as of this incident, the worst figure since 2019. Andalucía is the autonomous community with the most gender violence killings in 2026, with 10 recorded cases. If the Delegación del Gobierno contra la Violencia de Género confirms this latest case, Málaga province would reach 6 victims in 2026, plus the daughter of one of the victims. That figure would equal Málaga's total for all of 2025, a year that set a record since records began in 2003. According to 20 minutos, Málaga leads the national ranking in 2026, surpassing provinces such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.

Support resources

The 112 Andalucía emergency system dispatched Local Police, National Police, and health services to the address immediately after receiving the alert. Multiple articles note that the 016 helpline for victims of gender violence operates 24 hours a day in 52 languages, with additional support available via WhatsApp at 600 000 016 and the ALERTCOPS mobile app, which sends a geolocated alert to police. The Guardia Civil can be reached at 062 and the Policía Nacional at 091.