The family of the woman who has starred in several images walking naked through Arrecife says they feel helpless and desperate. They have been fighting for years to get María off the street. "Any day she is going to turn up dead, like Expedita," they point out, recalling this tragic event that shook Lanzarote society.
María, whose behavior has been generating concern for some time, arrived on the island "seven or eight years ago" and a little over a year and a half ago her mother already asked for help, through La Voz de Lanzarote, to get her daughter off the street, who was then pregnant. She stated that she had already tried it on several occasions without success, stating that her daughter suffered from a "personality disorder", that she was a drug user and that she feared for the life of the baby.
Then, according to her family, with the altruistic help of the lawyer and current senator for Lanzarote, Manuel Fajardo Palarea, they "tried to disqualify her" in court to try to get her admitted. In addition, "Social Services tried to go after her so that she would be admitted and have her pregnancy check-ups." However, neither one thing nor the other was achieved. "She spent the nine months of her pregnancy on the street," they say.
Thus, she ended up giving birth "at a gas station", although after that she was hospitalized. "Social Services kept the child," they say from the family, from where they could not take care of the baby. And the mother of this woman, who resides in the Peninsula, has a visual disability and already has another 22-year-old granddaughter in her care, since her daughter left home.
However, the family then traveled to Lanzarote and, in addition to being able to see the child, made a new attempt to get María off the street. "They gave her the possibility of entering the Flora Acoge shelter, but she didn't want to," they say. Thus, a few days later, she returned to the street.
"Before she continues on the street, we prefer them to send her to prison"
Since then, this woman has been involved in various incidents in Arrecife. According to her family, she recently had a "fast trial" with merchants on Calle Real. In addition, they point out that she was also arrested after exhibiting herself naked in front of a school and that they know that she has "many pending cases", although not the reasons for all of them.
However, they regret that despite everything, it has not yet been possible to have her admitted. And, although at some times it has been possible for her to be admitted to psychiatry, it has only been "temporary". "They stabilize her a little and when they see her a little coherent, back to the street again," they say. In fact, her family says that after the incident she starred in in front of a school, she was taken to the hospital, but she was discharged.
They also point out that in these past days, after receiving a photo of her naked in the street of Arrecife, they called the Police. "But they picked her up, took her to the emergency room, and after 24 hours, when she should have been admitted to the psychiatric hospital, we called and she had already been discharged," they indicate.
"We don't understand it, because article 185 of the Penal Code says that a person who exhibits their body, their sexual organs, with minors in front, has a penalty of six months to twelve months," says the family, who prefers that they "send her to prison and from there refer her to a psychiatric hospital" before she continues on the street", because "at least she will be watched". Harsh words from relatives who feel "helpless" and no longer know what to do.
In fact, they point out that they have even asked people who send them an image of an incident to report it, because they think that "the more complaints she has, the more likely she is" to be admitted. And what the family does not understand is that there are people who take photographs of her like the ones that have circulated on social networks, reflecting her naked body, but then "do nothing".
"We have done the impossible," they assure. "We call the Police and the CAD every week," adds the family of this woman, who says that they also have contact with both the Cabildo and the Arrecife City Council. Precisely, the Consistory reported this Tuesday that in March a report had been sent to the Investigating Court number 5 of Arrecife, which is processing a procedure to determine her mental capacity.
"She can't be here at home, because she is aggressive, but put her in a place, not 20 days like they have had her there, but six months, seven months or a year, whatever it is," they point out from the family, from where they trust that, this time, she will be admitted to a center where she can be treated.
