A re-autopsy on the body of murder victim Christine Silawan revealed that she was raped before she was killed, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said today.
PAO Forensic Team Director Dr. Erwin Erfe said their forensic team saw lacerations and signs of bleeding on the victim’s genitals, which imply that she was forcibly abused before being killed, SunStar reported.
The forensic team also found that there’s a possibility that the suspect poured acid over the victim’s face before it was skinned due to the traces of burned skin on her forehead, eyes, and neck, according to ABS-CBN News. The victim was choked using a one-centimeter rope, which was revealed through ligature marks found on her left wrist and neck.
The re-autopsy was conducted just before her burial on March 23, Sunstar reported. Erfe believes that at least three persons were involved in the victim’s death.
Earlier, the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory’s autopsy indicated that there were no injuries in Silawan’s private part, reported Cebu Daily News.
Silawan’s half-naked cadaver was found in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu on March 11. Her face was skinned to the bone, and some of her internal organs were missing.
An unidentified 17-year-old suspect, whom the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) believe is her ex-boyfriend, was arrested on March 16 and placed in the custody of social workers in Lapu-Lapu City, according to SunStar.
The suspect was ordered released by the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office because he was arrested without a warrant, but President Rodrigo Duterte countered this by ordering his re-arrest. The suspect is now once again in the custody of the Lapu-Lapu City Social Welfare Office, Manila Bulletin reported.
Meanwhile, PAO head Persida Acosta will be filing a supplemental case against the suspects. The case will be based on the autopsy which their forensic team conducted and eye witness accounts.
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