Q COSTARICA — A Costa Rican court upheld a 76-year prison sentence against a man identified as Fabio Ríos Garro for the femicide of his sentimental partner and their daughter, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported Tuesday.
“The prosecution was able to demonstrate that the events occurred in a context of domestic violence, and that the accused, after committing the crimes, set fire to the family home and filed a false report, with the aim of hiding what happened and diverting the attention of the authorities,” the Public Ministry explained in a statement.
The events occurred on July 30, 2020, in the town of San Pablo de León Cortés, province of San José, and the victims were identified as Fernanda Sánchez Aguilar and her daughter Raisha Ríos Sánchez.
The trial concluded in February 2025 with a 76-year prison sentence, but the defense filed appeals, which were rejected this Tuesday, May 26, 2026, by the Criminal Cassation Chamber, thus upholding the conviction.
Prosecutor Karen Valverde, who represented the Public Prosecutor’s Office during the trial, emphasized that the finality of the sentence represents “recognition of the technical and legal work” of the judicial authorities and “an important step in access to justice for victims of violence.”
In Costa Rica, femicide is punishable by 20 to 35 years in prison and is a crime established in the Law on the Penalization of Violence Against Women of 2007 and its subsequent amendments.
Since the law came into effect in 2007, Costa Rica has recorded a total of 557 femicides. The years with the highest number of cases were 2011 with 42, and 2024 with 44, according to data from the Observatory on Gender Violence Against Women and Access to Justice of the Judiciary.
In 2025, Costa Rica registered 36 femicides, and so far in 2026, the number has reached 10.
No Life Sentences. In Costa Rica, Article 51 of the Penal Code explicitly states that the maximum limit for a prison sentence is 50 years. Even if a judge hands down a cumulative sentence of hundreds of years—which happens in cases with multiple victims or multiple crimes—the sentence is automatically readapted so the offender does not serve more than 50 years.