By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police are waiting for the result of the postmortem examination to determine if a 16-year-old girl, who was found dead in a river at Sitio Morente, Barangay Cabahug, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental last Sunday, was sexually molested.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gil John Despi, Cadiz City police chief, said the Grade 11 student-victim was half-naked when found inside a sack that was floating on the river.
Despi said the victim was last seen alive in a waiting shed on Friday afternoon after a school-related practice.
The following day, her family reported that she was missing when she failed to go home on Friday night.
She was found lifeless two days later with at least 11 stab wounds on her body. It is believed that she may have been raped by an unidentified suspect.
Despi said the victim passed by a secluded area as she took a shortcut to their home last Friday.
Despi believed that she may have met the perpetrator by chance in the area or she may have been tailed.
A knife reportedly used in the incident was recovered from the crime scene.
Despite the situation of the victim, Despi said they could not establish yet if she was raped.
“Bloated siya and indi mabal-an if may other injuries siya because ara na siya sa advance state of decomposition,” he added.
Despi said that a witness surfaced pointing to a 48-year-old man, whom the victim’s family knew.
The man, who was initially considered a person of interest turned out to be a suspect in the case after he confessed to killing the victim, Despi said.
But Despi said there might be other persons involved in the incident.
He said the suspect probably had a hidden desire for the victim. Investigation is ongoing.