Slain girl's family wants NBI to speed up tests
The family of a 16-year old girl killed in Antique is calling on authorities to fast-track the DNA testing on her male companion and on a suspect to determine whether she was raped or not.
“The tests would help us find out the truth because we believe she was raped,” said Ramy Rex Mejica, the eldest brother of Kirsten Mejica, said in a telephone interview on Friday.
Ramy Rex made the call after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that Kirsten had sexual intercourse on the night she was killed.
But the autopsy report could not confirm whether Kirsten was raped or not.
The autopsy examination conducted by Dr. Nicasio Botin, medico-legal officer of the NBI Western Visayas office, showed “no evident recent genital injuries” but confirmed that seminal fluid was found on the victim.
Kirsten was found bludgeoned on the head and half-naked around 8 p.m. on January 31 at an isolated and grassy area in Barangay Funda-Dalipe in the capital town of San Jose in Antique. She died three hours later at the Angel Salazar General Memorial Hospital where she was taken.
Her male companion, also a minor and believed to be her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, was also hit on the head but survived. He initially told investigators that they were waylaid while riding on a motorcycle and lost consciousness after he was hit on the head.
A 16-year-old suspect under custody of social workers has confessed to bludgeoning the two victims on the vacant lot because of a long time grudge on the male victim. But he denied raping Kirsten.
The suspect's confession has, however, failed to stop widespread speculations and talks that the victim was raped or gang-raped and that the suspect was not involved or did not act alone.
Botin said the absence of recent genital injuries does not necessarily mean that there was no rape.
“It's not conclusive. We could not discount and rule out that possibility of rape,” Botin said in a telephone interview.
Botin said DNA testing on the seminal fluid found on the victim and samples from the suspect and the male victim could help determine whether she was raped or not and by whom.
The autopsy result should also be complimented by results of investigation and other pieces of evidence.
Ramy Rex said they have not received a copy of the autopsy report but will wait for progress of the NBI and police investigation.
But he said the incident and the continued questions on what really happened is taking its toll on the family.
His father Ramon Mejica Sr. has been hospitalized for nearly a week due to asthma attacks.
“It's hard on all of us and we hope justice will be served soon,” said Ramy Rex.
Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez also urged swift action on the case but called for sobriety.
“Let us stop all speculations. The NBI and police is on top of the situation,” said Perez in an interview in San Jose in Wednesday.
She said the crime, which has shocked residents, is an isolated case.
“Antique and San Jose remains a peaceful and quite town,” the governor said.