Ex-partner fatally stabs woman inside Rosario pharmacy; suspect apprehended after suicide attempt

A woman was brutally murdered with multiple stab wounds inside a downtown Rosario pharmacy on Tuesday morning, allegedly by her ex-partner. The assailant, who had parked his car illegally outside the establishment, entered the pharmacy and immediately attacked the victim, an employee, before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.

Witnesses described seeing someone speed away in a car shortly before pharmacy employees emerged, calling for help. Police arrived swiftly, but medical personnel could only confirm the victim's death at the scene. An extensive manhunt ensued, leading officers to a nearby building where the suspect was found on the terrace, bleeding and in possession of an alcohol bottle, having apparently attempted suicide.

This femicide is the latest in a sustained wave of violence against women in Rosario and the wider Santa Fe province. According to the Mercedes Pagnutti Observatory on Violence, Santa Fe recorded 17 femicides between January and May 2026, with 10 occurring in the Rosario department alone. This has resulted in a local rate of 1.43 femicides per 100,000 women, significantly exceeding the national average.

The report notes a concerning local variable: nearly a quarter of femicides in Santa Fe are linked to organized crime and drug trafficking. However, the majority, like this case, follow the more common pattern of an intimate partner or ex-partner being the aggressor, with the crime occurring in a domestic or everyday setting. The article cites several other recent femicides in Rosario, underscoring the persistent crisis.