Hildegart Rodriguez Carballeira was a socialist and an activist for the sexual revolution. She was raised by her mother to be the epitome of a modern woman. Unfortunately, Hildegart did not make it past the age of 18. What happened to her?
Hildegart Carballeira began reading at the age of two, spoke four languages at the age of eight, and enrolled in law school at the age of thirteen. Her mother, Aurora, shot her when she was 18 years old.
Hildegart Rodriguez Carballeira: Gone Too Soon
Hildegart Rodriguez Carballeira was born on December 9, 1914, to Dona Aurora Rodriguez, and she was destined to be an achiever. Her mother had never married her father and had only met him once. Dona, a firm believer in eugenics, meticulously selected her spouse to ensure that her daughter would be both intellectual and attractive, then raised her daughter as a single parent.
Hildegart’s mother was overbearing and demanding, but this also meant that Hildegart thrived and gained talents much sooner than the norm. Hildegart was able to read when she was two years old. She could type when she was four years old. She spoke four languages at the age of ten, including German, French, and English.
Her interest in sexuality and feminism had solidified by the time she was eleven, and she was giving talks on the subject. Unfortunately, the venue and audience for these talks are unclear because they took place when Hildegart was a little girl before she rose to prominence as a famous feminist, socialist activist, and proponent of eugenics.
Hildegart was inspired to organize an international conference in Madrid about birth control, contraception, and sexual revolution by her penpals, with whom she had corresponded for three years. Margaret Sanger thought Hildegart would lead efforts to develop birth control centers and information networks in Spain, and she encouraged her. In response, Hildegart founded the Spanish chapter of the World League for Sexual Reform.
Hildegart was shot four times by her mother while asleep in June 1933, when she was only eighteen years old.
I knew she would run away with him, so I killed her. She was far too talented and appealing. She was here for a reason, but it wasn’t to be married.
Aurora Rodriguez Carballeira, Mother of Hildegart Rodriguez Carballeira
Aurora was convicted and committed to an insane institute, where she died in 1955. There was much discussion about what Hildegart may have accomplished if she hadn’t died and why her mother chose to kill her prodigy, whom she had worked so hard to raise. (Source: Girl Museum)
What Does the Word “Filicide” Mean?
Filicide is the intentional killing of a kid by a parent. Although it is a rare occurrence, it is a type of homicide that is unfathomable in most societies and one of the significant causes of mortality in children in wealthy countries. Within the age category of 0 to17 years old, the global rate of child homicide is projected to be 2.93 for males and 1.92 for girls per 100,000 inhabitants. (Source: Frontiers In)