Girl stabbed dead fighting off attempted rape

No one will ever know if, at the point of her violent death, 20-year-old Irma cursed God for her wretched fate or sought His forgiveness.

For even as she was already scraping the bottom of her miserable life selling her body nightly for a few sweaty pesos, there seems to be those who still want her ultimate sacrifice for free.

And as if naturally enough, it had to be a self-confessed member of the Akrho, one of Cebu's most reviled street gangs, who had to have the crazed rage to stab Irma dead when all she wanted was to be paid for her services there in the dew-laden grass of the north reclamation area in Tipolo, Mandaue City.

Police in Mandaue City found Irma with gaping stab wounds to the chest after at least three witnesses sought assistance on seeing the commotion in the dead of dawn yesterday.

Despite the gallant efforts of the police to try and see if she can still be saved, doctors at the Mandaue City Hospital pronounced her already dead by the time she was brought in.

PO1 Chester Quiros said based on the accounts and descriptions provided by at least three witnesses, police from the Mandaue City Police Station 1 picked up a certain Sherwin questioning in relation to the killing.

Sherwin, 20, a resident of barangay Looc that city, was arrested in possession of a nine-inch knife. Stains believed to be of blood also covered his shortpants.

Sherwin, whose family name is being withheld by The Freeman pending the filing of charges against him, admitted to being a member of Akrho. He told police he met Irma in Looc and there struck an agreement with her for her services.

He said they then proceeded to the reclamation area and found a vacant lot that was suited for the purpose at hand. But, according to Sherwin, Irma seemed to change her mind and started to refuse having sex with him.

Sherwin said he was angered by Irma's refusal and was further enraged when she threatened to cry rape if he persisted. He said it was at this point that he stabbed the young woman.

The suspect is now detained under police custody and is awaiting charges to be filed against him.

It was not clear of an autopsy is to be performed on the body of Irma to determine if she was sexually molested before her death.

Irma was originally from Tagbilaran City in Bohol but was apparently forced by poverty to try her luck in the glittering lights of Metro Cebu, just a few hours by boat away.

It was also not clear who she was staying with in Cebu.

Apparently, however, she did not have the skills to land a decent job and ended up having to sell the only bankable asset she ever had. But even in such a humble and degrading endeavor, fate still cruelly failed her. - with Jose Sollano ( /JST )