MANILA, Philippines - Armed men gang-raped a Filipina and shot dead her Australian companion in Papua New Guinea last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
The DFA confirmed the report as the Global Post paper identified the male victim as Robert Purdy, 62, of Melbourne, who was gunned down by a group of about 10 men at a house on the outskirts of Mount Hagen.
The Filipina, who has not returned to the Philippines, was not immediately identified.
“Our embassy in Port Moresby has been informed that this case is still under police investigation. The embassy is coordinating with authorities in Papua New Guinea to determine what happened,†DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a text message.
The report said Mount Hagen was also the scene of a brutal killing last February when villagers stripped naked a 20-year-old mother and set her on fire in front of a crowd.