Community calls for justice for Melanie, a young woman assaulted by her boyfriend

Melanie Barragán Guzmán, a 20-year-old nursing student at the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas (UAT), was the victim of a severe assault at the hands of her boyfriend, Cristian de Jesús R., 24, during a costume party in the Revolución Verde neighborhood, Ciudad Madero.

The events occurred in the early hours of October 31 and left the young woman with serious facial injuries, including a broken nose, trauma to the jaw and left eye, which could put her vision at risk.

The incident began when Cristian, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, touched Melanie's friend inappropriately, which sparked an argument.

When leaving the party, the young man attacked Melanie with a punch that left her on the ground, where he continued to hit her. Security camera images captured Cristian dragging the victim while a friend tried unsuccessfully to stop the attack.

Melanie was rushed to the Social Security Hospital, where she is recovering and facing a complicated process that will require multiple surgeries to repair facial fractures. The young woman's mother has started a collection to raise funds for her medical treatment, and friends and family are asking for support so that justice is served.

The Attorney General's Office of Tamaulipas has taken notice of the case and has begun the search for Cristian de Jesús R., who has been a fugitive since the attack. The suspect has been identified as a medical student at the Institute of Sciences and Higher Studies of Tamaulipas (ICEST).