Student was strangled – autopsy

CEBU, Philippines - Autopsy result showed that the 19-year-old college student who was found dead and believed to have been raped in Barangay Poblacion, Sibonga town last Friday morning died of strangulation.

Dr. Felino Bronia of the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 said the marks found on the neck of Maygrace Superales showed that the victim was strangled to death.

Bronia said bruises were also found on the arms and forearms of Superales, an indication that the victim tried to struggle against her attacker.

The autopsy result further showed that there were no signs that the victim was raped, said Bronia, as he didn’t see lacerations on the victim’s private part.

This, however, would not conclude that the college student was not raped.

“Naa ma’y mga instances na dili makita na gi-rape,” the Crime Lab doctor said.

Superales, an education student of Sibonga Community College, was found by her classmates dead inside the house of her aunt in sitio Taloot, Barangay Poblacion at 9 a.m. last Friday.

The victim was covered with a blanket and was already stripped of her clothes and her underwear had been pulled down to her knees.

Sibonga police are conducting a hot pursuit operation against a male neighbor of Superales who went missing since the incident.

Police said the man had been previously arrested for allegedly peeping at women.

Superales was alone in the house when the suspect barged through the door which was not securely locked. Her aunt, who owns the house, seldom goes home. Her parents live at a mountain village so she had to stay with her aunt, investigation further showed.

The victim was last seen at 11 p.m. last Thursday, after watching a show in the plaza with her classmates as part of the opening celebration for their upcoming town fiesta. JPM (FREEMAN)