Ecuador reclassifies Nathaly Mafla death as femicide, summons parents to testify

The disappearance and subsequent death of 20‑year‑old university student Nathaly Mafla, who vanished after attending classes at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Quito, has been re‑examined by Ecuadorian prosecutors. Her body was discovered in a ravine in the La Vicentina sector of the city. On June 17, 2026, the prosecutor’s office changed the case classification from a missing‑person investigation to a femicide charge and transferred it to a gender‑based violence unit. Attorney Paul Vergara confirmed that both of Mafla’s parents have been called to give statements as part of the new investigative phase. Autopsy, toxicology and other forensic results are still pending, and authorities continue gathering evidence to determine the circumstances of her death.