Tributes have been paid to a “pure-hearted” British mother who was allegedly stabbed to death at her home in Spain.
Victoria Hart, 33, was found dead on the floor of her home in the Andalusian town of Alhaurín el Grande on Saturday, according to local authorities.
Her ex-partner was arrested after turning himself in at Alhaurín de la Torre prison on Saturday, local media reported. The parents, who were separated, had an 11-year-old son and two seven-year-old twin girls.
Hart was found dead on the floor of her home on Saturday (Facebook)
Spain’s civil guard said The Independent who were investigating a case of gender violence that occurred shortly before noon on Saturday in the province of Málaga.
Hart is said to have had a restraining order against her ex-partner, according to The World. She was also reportedly registered in Spain’s VioGén database, a software system used by Spanish police to assess the risk of gender-based violence. The newspaper said the police considered the case low risk.
A neighbor said The World that the children had gone out in the communal garden of the apartment after the accident and that the woman’s son had called the grandmother to tell her that “his father had killed his mother”.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 11.40am and Hart was found with neck injuries. She was later pronounced dead by medics, police said.
The local town hall condemned what it called an “act of gender violence” and declared a day of mourning on Monday.
“We extend our deepest condolences and support to the victim’s family and loved ones, as well as our strongest condemnation and anger for this act of sexist violence, a social scourge that seriously violates human rights and that we must eradicate with the involvement of the whole society,” she said.
Victoria has been described by friends as having ‘the purest heart’ (Facebook)
Mayor Anthony Bermúdez declared an official day of mourning on Monday “as a sign of respect and solidarity”.
Anne Khraiche, a resident, told the Spanish eye newspaper: “Victoria had the purest heart, her ultimate goal was to make sure her children had the best life she could give them.
“She worked hard to make sure they had that while making sure she attended their various activities. Family ties were so important to her.”
The friends set up a GoFundMe to help support the children.
Halo SpaSalon, a salon based in the city, also paid tribute to Hart, who worked as a hairdresser.
“Tonight, our thoughts, prayers, love and strength are with the family and beautiful children of Victoria Hart,” they wrote on social media.
“A young mother and a fellow hairdresser in the community, brutally taken in such a disgusting way. Her life was stolen and her children’s and family’s lives changed forever.”
FCDO spokesman said The Independent: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”