Ana Orantes: The Woman Who Sparked the Conversation on Domestic Violence in Spain

2023-05-14 04:00:00

MADRID, Spain | “My mother touched Spain, because she told something that could not be told. At the time, domestic violence was a taboo that should not leave the house.

In a few words, Francisco Javier Orantes illustrates why the assassination of his mother by his father was the electric shock the country needed to tackle the scourge of domestic violence.

Ana Orantes is widely known as the woman who started the dialogue in Spain on domestic violence, at the cost of her own life. The mother had testified on television to recount the physical and psychological abuse of her ex-husband.

He killed her thirteen days later, on December 17, 1997, by burning her alive in front of their home in the suburbs of Granada. This had sparked anger and protests across the country.

“Many women recognized themselves in his testimony,” said Francisco, the youngest of 11 siblings.

Twenty-five years after his mother’s murder, The newspaper met him in a park in Granada, southern Spain, which was renamed in his memory. A boardwalk crosses the arid ground of the park, from where the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains can be seen in the distance.

Isolated family

For her now 44-year-old son, Ana was a strong woman who always knew how to “fill the void” left by her father, José Parejo Avivar, in the household. “She was a sweetheart,” he said softly. She made sure all of our needs were met. She knew perfectly well if we had a problem at school. He didn’t even know what class we had. »

During her childhood, her family moved several times when there began to be too many neighbors in the neighborhood. His father constantly wanted to further isolate his family, he illustrates.

Erica Aubin / JdeM

Francisco Javier Orantes sits on a bench in Ana Orantes Park, Granada, Spain.

His father was physically and psychologically violent with his wife, but also with his children. “We studied in the evening with the door closed and a blanket under the door to hide the light, otherwise he would beat us,” he confides.

Ana Orantes had filed for divorce and denounced her husband several times, but to no avail. Francisco Javier Orantes recalls a moment when he was sitting in the judge’s office: “When he refused the divorce, I was looking out the window. I would have liked to throw myself into it rather than go back home to live with him. »

New life

After several attempts, she finally obtained a divorce in 1996, but the magistrate ordered her to live in the same building as her ex-husband, in the municipality of Cúllar Vega. She lived in the upstairs apartment with two of her children still at home, while he occupied the one downstairs.

“He had convinced the judge that he was not going to do anything, but this period was a nightmare, describes Francisco Javier Orantes, who was 19 and lived with his mother. He did everything to disturb: put on loud music at night, knock on the ceiling, throw eggs at the window. »

Photo screenshot from the Memoranda Youtube channel

Ana Orantes during her interview on December 4, 1997 on Canal Sur Televisión.

Despite this, Ana Orantes was able to begin to “really live” from that moment, believes her son. She could now see her children, socialize with her friends, go to the hairdresser and to the mountains. This is what had made him want to share his story publicly.

“She saw clearly all that she had lost. She knew that many women were still in this situation and she wanted to help them open their eyes, so that they would stop suffering, ”explains Francisco Javier Orantes, who had his surname changed to remove that of the murderer.

Although he knew that giving a testimony on prime-time television could be dangerous for his mother, he always supported her. “It was his decision,” he says.

On December 4, 1997, she gave the long interview in which she described “hell” experienced with her ex-husband during their 40 years of marriage. “He sometimes threw me on a chair and hit me with a stick. […] All he wanted was to grab me by the hair and bang me against the wall,” she said in particular in Spanish.

Forebodings

Thirteen days later, the 60-year-old woke up “anguished and sad”, recalls her son. She was returning from shopping in the afternoon when her ex-husband attacked her in the middle of the street. He doused him in gasoline before setting his body on fire.

José Parejo Avivar surrendered to the police the same day. After a trial, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He died a few years later of a heart attack in prison.

Francisco Javier Orantes, now married and father of two children, calmly tells his story. Despite feeling sad that it will haunt him forever, he also feels great pride thinking about his late mother.

“When I hear that the laws are getting stricter and I think of the fact that my mother has done something to change that, I feel admiration,” he says, also congratulating women who dare to speak out for denounce.

“All his life he [son père] wanted to make my mother invisible by moving her from house to house and when he wouldn’t let her out. She managed to do just the opposite, because now everyone knows her name and her story, ”drops Francisco Javier Orantes.

Public spaces for Ana Orantes

Various Spanish municipalities have renamed streets, public squares, parks and roundabouts to honor Ana Orantes. Here are some of these spaces that can be found all over Spain.