What happened
Rosa Elvira Cely, a 35-year-old mother, was attacked in Bogotá’s National Park in 2012 and died from her injuries days later.
The investigation
The investigation focused on Javier Velasco, who had been with Cely before the attack. Physical evidence and witness accounts supported the prosecution case.
What the courts or investigators concluded
Velasco was convicted. Public outrage over Cely’s killing became part of a wider national debate about gender-based violence and the treatment of femicide in Colombian law.
Why the case remains significant
Her name became closely associated with legal and social efforts to recognize femicide as a distinct form of violence and to improve institutional responses to attacks on women.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.