The family of Vanessa Guillén knows a little bit about what Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz’s family is going through right now, and they’re offering their support in these difficult times.
Speaking to KENS 5, Mayra Guillén, Vanessa’s sister, spoke about how the case of 1st Cavalry Division soldier Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz is opening old wounds for her family, and how the fight is not over when it comes to making sure situations like this don’t happen again.
“My sister came to mind. It was the first thing.” Mayra said before going on about how she was in shock “to learn there is another death it could possibly be connected to sexual harassment or sexual assault in the military.”
Basaldua Ruiz was found dead at Fort Hood on March 13, the same military base where soldier Vanessa Guillén was murdered in 2020. Guillén’s high-profile murder came after she reported the would-be murderer for sexual assault on at least two occasions. Her death brought attention to the issue of harassment and sexual abuse in the Armed Forces, and led to the I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2020, which provides protections for victims.
But many, like her sister, believe not enough is being done; especially after the death of Basaldua Ruiz now.
“I hope that people remember, first and foremost, the fact that this happened yet once again after three long years,” Mayra told KENS 5. “And how it is still persistent. In cases like these, it should still pick up a lot of interest because what leads a person to go to the extent of not wanting to live anymore? What was the pressure? What was the issue?”
The latest update from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) stated that no foul play was evident in the case of Basaldua Ruiz, and that “information related to any possible harassment will be addressed and investigated fully.” This comes on the heels of the family of Basaldua Ruiz reporting that she shared with them, in the days before her death, that she’d been harassed while on base.
Currently, the family of Ana Basaldua Ruiz has started a GoFundMe to raise funds for her family to attend the memorial in the U.S. and for a second autopsy.