Influencer Ana Karoline de Sousa Rocha, 27, known as Karol Belchior, was allegedly stabbed to death by ex Francisco Jardson after a party, with police probing femicide
A 27-year-old influencer has been brutally stabbed to death in an alleged attack by her ex-boyfriend after she returned home from a party.
Ana Karoline de Sousa Rocha, known online as Karol Belchior, was killed in the early hours of Saturday (July 4), in the Diadema neighbourhood of Horizonte, part of the Greater Fortaleza area in Ceará, Brazil. The brutal death has shocked social media in Brazil, where she had built a following of more than 500,000.
Karol, who also worked as a gym receptionist, had ended her relationship with 26-year-old Francisco Jardson just days before the attack, according to reports. On Friday night (July 3), she went out to a local party in the Queimadas area.
Her reportedly ex spotted her at the venue and was seized by jealousy. Instead of confronting her there, he allegedly drove to her home and lay in wait.
Police believe he waited in ambush at the property for her to return, Jovem Pan NEWS reported. When Karol reportedly arrived home from the party, she was allegedly attacked inside and stabbed multiple times.
Her father is said to have heard the commotion and rushed to help, managing to get her to a nearby medical facility while she was still alive. But the injuries were too severe and she died shortly after arriving, Tribuna Online reported.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene but later turned himself in at the Horizonte Civil Police station hours later. The Ceará Military Police consequently arrested him and he is being investigated on suspicion of femicide.
Karol’s final social media posts on Friday night reportedly showed her attending the events, the Sun reported. In recent days, she had also posted about relationships and break-ups, writing: “I already pay for everything myself, I manage on my own.
“If it’s not to protect me, to make me loved, pampered and respected, what would I want a man for?” Karol leaves behind a young son.
Femicide is generally defined as the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender. It is most often carried out by men and is commonly linked to misogyny, systemic sexism, domestic abuse and coercive control.
In the UK, the most comprehensive independent tracking is compiled by the UK Femicide Census, alongside figures and trends published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On average, one woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK.
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