NORALA, South Cotabato (MindaNews/10 January) — Jeanelyn Villavende, the domestic helper who was reportedly beaten to death by her employer in Kuwait late last month, could have been also raped.
This came out in the initial results of the re-autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the victim’s remains in a funeral parlor here.
Dr. Ricardo Rodaje, NBI medico-legal officer, said they have taken samples from the victim to confirm a suspected sexual abuse.
He said they took oral swabs for possible oral sex, anal swabs for sodomy and vaginal swabs for possible rape.
“These will still be subjected to laboratory tests,” he told reporters following the more than three-hour autopsy at the Emerald Mortuary and Services in Barangay Poblacion here.
Rodaje said the victim had multiple wounds on her body and some of her internal organs were missing, including the brain.
The only remaining organs were the liver, spleen, kidneys and lungs, he said.
He said “there were a lot of inflicted wounds on her back.”
“The final results of the autopsy will be released as soon as possible. It will be up to the investigator to determine whether there was foul play,” Rodaje said.
Moises Villavende, Jeanelyn’s uncle, said on Friday that NBI personnel who conducted the autopsy believed the victim was possibly raped.
An NBI source said there were vaginal lacerations found on Jeanelyn, an indication that she was raped.
“That’s what they suspect, but the (laboratory) tests will determine if it was positive,” said Moises, who stayed with the NBI personnel until the autopsy was completed past 4 p.m.
Abelardo Villavende, the victim’s father, said in an interview with reporters at his mother’s house in Purok Guimbal, Barangay Tinago here that they were not informed yet regarding the result of the autopsy.
He said the autopsy conducted by Kuwaiti authorities cited that Jeanelyn died after her heart and lungs reportedly collapsed due to severe beating.
“They said that she just collapsed,” he said.
Abelardo, who gave consent for the conduct of the re-autopsy, said the final results will be compared with Kuwait’s findings and back up the charges against the suspects.
Jeanelyn, according to her family, was brought to a hospital dead last Dec. 28. They were officially informed by the Department of Foreign Affairs about her death on Dec. 30.
The Kuwaiti couple that employed Jeanelyn have been detained in connection with her death. (MindaNews)