Survivor Yeritza Bautista fears for her life after attacker's early release

Yeritza Bautista, a survivor of two violent attacks by her ex-partner, has spoken out after his early release. Carlos Enrique Arellano Nava was freed on 9 June 2025 despite previously being sentenced for attempted feminicide. Bautista now fears for her life and is calling for judicial action. The first attack in 2020 left Bautista with severe injuries. She lost five teeth, suffered gum damage, and shattered her left knee. The assault required multiple reconstructive surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation to recover speech, eating, and walking abilities.

A second attack followed shortly after. Police arrested Arellano Nava as he tried to strangle her. In 2022, he received an 11-year-and-8-month sentence for attempted feminicide, later upheld in 2025.

However, judges Blanca García Sánchez, Erika Epifanea Reséndiz Ramírez, and Rafael Inti Castillo Serrato reclassified the crime as domestic violence. This reduced his sentence to six years and led to his immediate release. The court also denied Bautista full reparations and removed her protective measures. Arellano Nava is now free, and Bautista believes her life remains in danger. She has demanded the removal of the three judges involved in the case. The legal decision has left her without the protections she once had.