Charges Dropped Against Mexican Woman Who Shot Assailant

Prosecutors in Mexico have dropped murder charges against a woman who shot a man who was attempting to rape her. The state claims that Claudia Rodriguez used excessive force in her defense, but Prosecutor Victor Hugo, without comment, dropped charges against her in a paper filed on February 7th. The overturned ruling, which denied a defense motion to drop the charges, concluded that, “Instead of avoiding the sexual attack, by her attitude in remaining in the company of the aggressor despite his propositions to her, she provoked him to attack her so she could shoot him in some vital part of his body.” The man had folloed her from a bar though Rodriguez repeatedly refused all of his advances. She continued to resist him and pulled out a gun she bought after a previous attack to deter him. Unshaken, the man commented, “No woman has ever gotten away from me,” and started ripping at her clothes. Women’s groups from across the world have weighed in on Rodriguez’ defense claiming that charges made against her demonstrate a double-standard against working-class women in Mexico’s justice system. Ana Magaloni, one of her attorneys, commented on the ruling, “This is a great achievement.”

Media Resources: Associated Press - February 10, 1997

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