‘I begged for help’: the police failings that led to UK mother’s death at hands of her daughter’s stalker
Yolanda Saldana Feliz was stabbed 40 times by Miguel Angel Florentino, after Lauris Saldana’s emails to Met police went unanswered
TL;DR
- Yolanda Saldana Feliz was killed by her daughter's ex-partner, Miguel Angel Florentino, in a 2022 attack.
- A coroner's report indicated that the killing could have been prevented if the Metropolitan police had taken Lauris Saldana's domestic abuse case seriously.
- Lauris Saldana had repeatedly contacted the police, providing evidence of Florentino's violent stalking, but received no adequate response.
- Florentino had a history of mental health issues and legal troubles in Spain and the Dominican Republic.
- The attack occurred when Florentino entered the flat where Lauris and Yolanda were sleeping; Yolanda sustained 40 stab wounds, and Lauris was also severely injured.
- Florentino died by suicide the same day as the murder.
- An inquest uncovered numerous police failures, including assigning the case to an untrained officer and not responding to Lauris's urgent emails and evidence.
- The Metropolitan police have apologized and outlined steps taken since 2022 to enhance their handling of stalking and domestic abuse cases, including increasing officer numbers.