THE 10-year-old girl whose body was hogtied and stuffed in a basin in Talisay City Negros Occidental last week was sexually abused.

Superintendent Boots Aseo, city police chief, said autopsy results showed an indication that the Grade 3 pupil was positive for the laceration.

Aseo said rape with homicide charges were filed on Monday, January 7, against the 20-year-old primary suspect and his 17-year-old brother, whose names were withheld.

The child died of asphyxia due to suffocation.

The primary suspect initially denied sexually molesting the victim but admitted he did the killing alone. His younger brother denied his involvement in the crime.

Aseo, however, said the minor-suspect is still part of the investigation.

On January 4, Sayo was found dead under the sink inside the boarding house of her uncle, a few meters away from their residence in Barangay 14B, where the suspects served as caretakers.

The primary suspect said he asked the victim to throw the spoiled salad to the river but for an unknown reason, he killed her.

Prior to the incident, the victim was asked to go to a nearby house to get the results of the small town lottery, but she failed to go home that night. It prompted her family to look for her until they found her dead.

The primary suspect told reporters he was previously using illegal drugs but he was not under the influence of liquor or drugs when he killed the victim.

He asked for forgiveness for the crime he committed.

Both suspects are detained at the police station.