Shock has gripped the IES Playa Flamenca in Orihuela Costa, where both the 15-year-old victim, Cloe, and her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, her alleged murderer, were students. Flags are at half-mast as the educational community mourns Sunday’s tragic event.
Teachers informed the nearly one thousand students early on Monday morning, before it was officially announced, although it was already extensively featured in the local press.
The students gathered in the school courtyard to observe a few minutes of silence in memory of Cloe, who was in her 4th year of ESO. Her ex-boyfriend had been in 1st year of Bachillerato before he switched to Vocational Training.
Classes continued, but some students called their parents to pick them up. The school’s board has requested psychological assistance for both students and teachers. One counsellor described Cloe as a typical 15-year-old girl with dreams to fulfil, noting that it will take at least a year for many of the students to process what happened.
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The two teenagers had been in a “very toxic” relationship for a year, according to one of Cloe’s friends. She was reportedly psychologically and physically abused by her ex-boyfriend, who also cheated on her.
Cloe did not report the abuse out of fear. They had broken up and reconciled on multiple occasions, but Cloe decided to end the relationship for good just two days before the incident. They met to talk on Sunday, and at 8:00 PM, he allegedly stabbed her in the neck.
Cloe, severely injured, managed to stumble about 200 metres from Calle del Morral to her brother’s house on Calle Venus, leaving a trail of blood. Her brother took her to Torrevieja Hospital, where she died shortly after her admission, leaving two families and the community devastated on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The school played the song “Una puerta violeta” by Rozalén in Cloe’s memory, and a mural with violet butterflies and messages of remembrance now sits over the entrance to the school building. Messages like “You deserved the best, fly high” reflect the deep sorrow felt by her friends, the students and the wider community.
