A Spanish Red Cross volunteer who taught courses on gender violence has allegedly been stabbed to death by her Moroccan boyfriend, who she was trying to break up with.
Paula Solanas de Miguel, 27, was found with severe injuries in her apartment in Santander, in Cantabria on Spain’s north coast, at about 12.30pm on July 31, and police arrested Nabil Khalissi, 39, at the scene.
Their one-year-old child was not in the apartment at the time and is in the care of Ms Solanas’ parents.
The Moroccan national called emergency services after the killing and allegedly confessed to murdering Ms Solanas, but remained silent while facing court where he was refused bail, Spanish media outlet La Bandera reported.
During the court hearing, Ms Solanas’ parents described her relationship with Khalissi as toxic, and testified that their daughter had been in the process of ending the relationship and was moving out of the apartment, but maintained contact due to the child.
They told the court they believed the break-up was the motive for the alleged murder, and said Khalissi was a “very controlling and possessive man”.
Her father Joaquín Solanas, who served as Director General of Culture when the conservative Christian PP party was in government in Cantabria in the 2010s, told the court the pair had met four years ago.
At his daughter’s funeral he urged mourners not to respond to the alleged murder with “hate”, and said the family would work towards forgiveness.
Ms Solanas worked as a campaigner with Red Cross Youth where she taught courses and ran workshops on preventing violence against women, El Generacional reported. She also taught English, and previously lived in England and France.
The alleged murder has been officially classified as a gender violence killing by Spain’s Equality Ministry, and is the 33rd this year.
Of the 49 gender violence murders recorded in Spain in 2025, 18 were committed by foreign nationals, and in 2024 immigrants made up 17 of 48 cases.
Immigrants make up 20% of Spain’s population, and are just 14.1% of Spain’s resident male population aged 15 and older, but are responsible for about 36% of gender violence murders.
Header image: Left, right, Paula Solanas de Miguel (X, Facebook).
