Family of late Filipina bride calls for probe

The Korea Times

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Family of late Filipina bride calls for probe

Posted : 2011-01-24 17:03

Updated : 2011-01-24 17:03

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

The grieving family of a deceased 25-year-old Filipino woman, who had complained of abuse at the hands of her Korean husband and mother-in-law, say that the cause of her death cannot be suicide.

Larino Deocades, father of the late bride Cathy, said he and his family are awaiting the results of an autopsy conducted by the General Santos City Health Office on the remains of his daughter. The results will be released by the end of the week.

“We want an investigation into her death... Cathy had repeatedly told us that she was being abused by her mother-in-law and husband. But we are waiting for the results of the autopsy here,” Deocades told The Korea Times in a phone interview from General Santos City, southern Philippines.

Deocades sounded distraught, saying that he did not believe the Korean police’s report that his daughter killed herself by hanging.

“I know my daughter. I don’t think she would have killed herself... She kept calling and calling us in the past few months, always asking us to bring her home,” he said.

Cathy was found hanging at her home in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 11.

“I saw Cathy’s body when it was brought here. I noticed the bruises all over her body, and some burn marks on her abdomen. The Korean police said it was suicide by hanging, but the rope marks on her neck are suspicious. It does not look like suicide to me,” Deocades said.

Deocades said that when the autopsy results are released, and if they rule out suicide, the family will request a further investigation by Korean authorities.

Cathy was married to a Korean man named Park in 2009, and moved to Korea the same year. After giving birth to a baby girl last year, she suffered postpartum depression and was confined to a hospital in October.

Deocades said his daughter told him of the abuse she suffered, including being sold to other men.

Last October, the family had already asked the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for assistance, so embassy personnel checked on Cathy’s condition. But Cathy reportedly told the embassy personnel that she was fine.

“Cathy was the type of a person who didn’t tell us all her problems. She wanted to leave (her husband) many times, but she couldn’t because she did not want to leave her daughter.”

The family is also seeking custody of their five-month-old granddaughter, who is currently living with Park and his family.

Deocades also said a relative of Park’s family called him up to extend condolences to his family. “They told us they were really sad and concerned about what happened to Cathy,” he said.

比 결혼이주女 사망에 가족들 수사 요청

필리핀 출신의 20대 결혼이주여성이 최근 한국에서 스스로 목숨을 끊은 것으로 알려지면서 필리핀 현지의 가족들이 사망 경위에 대한 철저한 수사를 촉구했다.

23일(현지시각) 필리핀 일간 인콰이어러 인터넷판에 따르면 필리핀인 L씨는 이달 한국에서 숨진 딸 C(24)씨가 한국인 남편과 시댁 식구들의 학대를 받아왔다며 딸의 사망 경위와 관련한 수사를 촉구했다.

L씨는 딸이 작년 11월께 집으로 전화를 걸어와 남편과 시댁 식구들의 학대를 견디기 어렵다며, 필리핀으로 다시 데려가 달라고 호소했다고 말했다.

L씨는 또 딸의 안부를 수소문하면서 남편이 딸을 다른 남성에게 팔아넘겼다는 이야기까지 들었다고 말했다.

L씨는 필리핀 외교부에 도움을 요청, 딸이 잘 지내고 있다는 답변을 받았지만 얼마 지나지 않아 딸이 스스로 목숨을 끊었다는 연락을 받게 됐다.

가족들은 지난주 필리핀에서 C씨의 시신을 인도받아 부검을 요청한 상태다.

검시관 측은 정확한 부검 결과는 다음주께 나오겠지만, C씨가 복부에 타박상을 입은 것으로 보인다고 밝혔다.

이에 대해 필리핀 외교부는 한국 경찰이 C씨가 스스로 목숨을 끊은 것으로 보고 있다며, 필요할 경우 한국 주재 필리핀 대사관을 통해 추가 수사를 요청하는 등 대응 방안을 모색하고 있다고 밝혔다.

C씨는 지난 2009년 10월 인터넷을 통해 한국인 남성을 만난 뒤 마닐라에서 결혼식을 올리고 곧바로 한국으로 이주한 것으로 알려졌다.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr