The Case of the Satanic Sisters: Parricide and Madness

The case of the Satanic Sisters, which occurred in Buenos Aires City in March 2000, is one of the most disturbing episodes in Argentine criminal history. On March 27 of that year, Silvina and Gabriela Vázquez, two sisters aged 21 and 24 respectively, murdered their father, Juan Carlos Vázquez, in a ritual that they believed was a purification to expel demons.

The Vázquez family had suffered the loss of their mother, Aurora, seven years before the crime, which deeply affected the sisters and their father. After the death of his mother, the relationship between them became more intense and dependent. They lived in an environment that became increasingly isolated and strange, where they began to experience phenomena that they interpreted as demonic manifestations, such as exploding lights and objects that moved on their own.

The Ritual and the murder

On the night of the crime, the sisters carried out a ritual involving items such as candles, incense and a Bible. According to reports, Silvina stabbed her father more than 100 times while screaming that he was expelling the demon from inside. Gabriela, although she was not the material perpetrator of the crime, was present and also covered in blood. The scene was described as dantesque, with the home filled with blood and disordered objects.

Legal consequences

When the police arrived at the scene, they found Silvina in the middle of an attack. Both sisters were arrested and taken to the Pirovano Hospital, where they were given psychiatric evaluations. Experts determined that both suffered from severe mental disorders. Judge Julio César Corvalán de la Colina declared them not to be charged, arguing that they could not understand the criminality of their actions due to their mental state. This meant that they would not face a conventional criminal trial.

A disturbing context

The case of the Vázquez sisters is marked by a context of rituals that they believed were necessary to purify their home and their father, Juan Carlos. These rituals were influenced by a mixture of mystical beliefs and an impaired mental state, culminating in an act of extreme violence.

The sisters were convinced that their home was possessed by evil entities. This belief intensified after the death of his mother, which generated an atmosphere of fear and paranoia in the family.

In the days leading up to the crime, the family participated in purification rituals. These included prayers and the use of elixirs, all the mirrors in the house were broken, as well as the practice of sleeping on the same mattress, which reflected a dynamic of confinement and emotional dependence.

During the ritual that culminated in the murder, elements typical of occult practices were found at the scene, such as lit candles, incense, a Bible and other objects indicating a ritual atmosphere. Silvina, at the time of the attack, was naked and wielding a knife, while screaming that she was expelling the demon from her father.

It has been mentioned that the sisters were influenced by a group or person that promoted these beliefs, which contributed to their mental state. Gabriela, in later interviews, suggested that her sister had been "brainwashed" by a leader of a center that promoted these practices.

The rituals that led the Satanic Sisters to commit patricide were not satanic rituals in the traditional sense, but rather a manifestation of their mental deterioration and their belief in the need for purification. The combination of their psychological state, the influence of mystical beliefs and the family tragedy resulted in a tragic and disturbing outcome that has been the object of study and analysis in the criminological and psychiatric field.

Later life

The sisters were admitted to the neuropsychiatric Braulio Moyano and, after several years of treatment, were discharged in 2003. Since then, their lives have taken separate paths and they have not had contact with each other again.

Currently, Gabriela is divorced and the mother of a girl, while Silvina finished her economics studies at the University of Buenos Aires. They never appeared in the media again and tried to return to normal life within that particular context.

The case of the Satanic Sisters has left a legacy of unanswered questions and has been the subject of numerous analyses in the media and criminological studies, highlighting the complexity of mental health and the impact of family tragedies on human behavior.