# Ecuador child femicide investigation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ecuador-child-femicide-investigation
> Updated: 2026-09-12T00:55:17.000Z. Sources: 163. Developments: 2.

In Ecuador, a judge has ordered preventive detention for a 21-year-old woman, Lizbeth T. Ch., suspected of being a co-author in the femicide of her 3-year-old daughter in Latacunga.

Evidence presented by the Fiscalía General del Estado, including autopsy reports, indicates the child died from violent internal hemorrhaging. Investigations suggest the abuse began on August 3, involving the child's stepfather, and continued when the mother allegedly struck the child with a belt. The child was found without vital signs at a hospital on August 5 with extensive bruising.

## Claims

- The Criminal Court of Santa Ana issued the first life imprisonment sentence for femicide in El Salvador. (disputed by 9 sources)
- The Salvadoran Congress removed the constitutional prohibition of life imprisonment in April. (disputed by 7 sources)
- The Third Criminal Court of San Salvador issued the life sentence. (disputed by 5 sources)
- The Salvadoran Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional reform in March 2026 to allow life imprisonment. (disputed)
- Carlos Arturo Herrera Castro, aged 31, was convicted of aggravated homicide and robbery. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Herrera Castro attacked the victim, Alexis López Córdova, with stones during an argument. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The crime occurred on May 18, 2026, in the Teosinte canton, Arcatao district, Chalatenango department. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The motive for the attack was to steal cash from the victim. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Life imprisonment can now be applied to murderers, rapists, and terrorists. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The previous maximum sentence was 60 years. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Eduardo Mauricio Urbina García, aged 39, was convicted of aggravated femicide. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The attack occurred on August 3 in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood of Santa Ana. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-12: El Salvador issues first life sentence for femicide

El Salvador has issued its first life imprisonment sentence for femicide, convicting Eduardo Mauricio Urbina García for the August killing of a neighbor in Santa Ana.

161 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/alicante-court-begins-trial-for-attempted-murder-in-almorad

### 2026-09-11: Legal developments in Argentina murder acquittal and Spanish serial killer trial

A jury in Argentina acquitted Eric Javier Stegeman of murder and robbery, while in Spain, a serial killer facing 60 years in prison begins a new trial for a 2021 homicide.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/legal-developments-in-argentina-murder-acquittal-and-spanish-serial-killer-trial

---
Cite as: Ecuador child femicide investigation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ecuador-child-femicide-investigation