Body of a Singaporean woman missing in Spain found with over 30 stab wounds; Singaporean man arrested
Audrey Fang had travelled alone to Xabia and had lost contact since leaving her hotel room on 9 April evening
SINGAPORE — A Singaporean man has been arrested in Spain following the discovery of the body of Audrey Fang Dirou, a 39-year-old woman from Singapore who had been reported missing since last week.
A report from Spanish newspaper Olive Press said that Fang was found with more than 30 stab wounds, and her body was located some 150 kilometres away from the hotel where she was last seen alive.
Fang's body was found in a lorry park on 10 April at Abanilla, a town in the Murcia region. The discovery was made by a man en route to a nearby restaurant along the RM-422 highway in Abanilla.
The suspect was detained by the Guardia Civil in Alicante province on 16 April and later handed over to their colleagues in Murcia. Olive Press reported that he was arrested at a hotel in Alicante.
A family friend, Lee Si Hui, confirmed the incident to the English daily The Straits Times on Thursday (18 April). Lee, 30, mentioned that the family could not share much information, as they are assisting with police investigations and do not want to hinder evidence collection.
Lee had accompanied Fang's brother and cousin to Spain to search for her whereabouts. According to Lee, Fang was last seen on her hotel's closed-circuit television at 8:45pm on 9 April. The family lodged a report with Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on 11 April.
She did not board her return flight
Fang had travelled alone to Xabia, Spain, and had lost contact since 10 April. She had departed from Singapore on 4 April with plans to return by 12 April.
Her brother, who awaited her arrival at Changi Airport, discovered she had not boarded her return flight, and filed a police report the same day. The Straits Times reported that the police confirmed a report had been lodged.
The family found that Fang left her hotel room on 9 April but did not return, leaving her belongings behind. Although she had informed her family of a possible meeting with a friend in Spain, they were unaware of the friend's identity.
According to The Straits Times, Fang, who lived with her father and younger brother, was an architect scheduled to commence a new job in May following a trip to Japan with her aunt and cousin at the end of April.
Consular assistance and support to family
An MFA spokesperson informed Yahoo Southeast Asia on Thursday that Singapore’s Honorary Consulate-General (HCG) in Madrid has been in contact with local authorities concerning the case.
The spokesperson said, "MFA is not in a position to comment on the case as investigations are ongoing."
The ministry added that both the MFA and the HCG have been providing consular assistance and support to Fang’s family. "We express our deepest condolences to the family," its spokesperson added.
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