A Philippine Airlines flight attendant was raped by a gang and murdered in a hotel room after a New Year’s party – and 11 men were arrested for the heinous attack, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Christine Angelica Dacera, 23, was found unconscious in the empty bathtub in her room in Makati city in early January 1, said the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Friends and hotel staff rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was later declared dead, officials told the newspaper.
“Based on the initial investigation, sexual abuse occurred, ”Brigadier National Police spokesman for the Philippines. General Ilderbrandi Usana told the newspaper.
She had “lacerations and sperm on her genitalia”, as well as scratches on her arms and legs, police said.
Makati city police on Monday opened a provisional rape charge with homicide against 11 men who were with her during the party, the newspaper said.
Three of them were arrested while the others were still being hunted, Makati city chief of police Colonel Harold Deposita told the Daily Inquirer.
“Only three of them were friends with Dacera. The others were practically strangers to her, as they were known only to her three friends, ”said the deputy.
Dacera was a flight attendant for Philippine Airlines (PAL) Express, who said she “regrets the tragic death”.
“Our desire is for the truth to be revealed in the interests of justice,” the company told the newspaper on Tuesday.
Her mother, Sharon Dacera, appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte, saying that her daughter had been “treated like a pig” in the “barbaric” crime.
“Christine does not deserve this brutality … they need to be punished,” said the grieving mother, according to the Daily Inquirer.