ELEVEN men have been cleared of the rape and murder of an air stewardess discovered slumped in a bathtub.
Christine Angelica Dacera was found in a room at the City Garden Hotel on New Year's Day in Makati, the Philippines.
The 23-year-old was taken to hospital by paramedics but later declared dead by doctors, say cops in Manilla.
Following her death, police filed a provisional charge of rape with homicide against eleven men who were with her on the night she died.
Three of them were arrested and released, pending further police work.
However, the Makati City prosecutor’s office has now dismissed the rape with homicide case against all the men over “lack of probable cause”.
In legal documents obtained by CNN Philippines, Assistant Prosecutor Joan Santillan said the evidence was “insufficient to engender a well-founded belief that rape, homicide, or rape with homicide has been committed.”
The respondents had all denied the claims against them.
Separate complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are still being investigated, say reports.
The NBI had said Dacera died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, which is consistent with the findings of the Philippine National Police.
Her mother, Sharon has previously called on Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to help bring justice for her daughter.
“I don’t want this to happen to another woman who will be treated like that,” she reportedly said.
"Christine does not deserve this brutality.”
CCTV images released in January appeared to show the Philippine Airlines flight attendant going to her room with at least three men.
In the pictures, she is seen shoeless and holding a glass of wine after apparently partying in the hotel.
One of the men later arrested, Gregorio de Guzma told ABS-CBN News he was gay and had no involvement in the death of Christine.
He said: "For me, I’ve never had sexual relations with a woman. I’ve never been aroused by a woman. Always a man. Many can testify to that."
Speaking of the men who partied with the air steward, he added: "Every one of them was gay."
The Philippines Airlines stewardess was rushed to hospital by three pals who found her unconscious in the bath.
They had performed CPR on her but she failed to respond and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Makati.
The dead woman's family's lawyer, Brick Reyes reportedly said they believed the young victim was drugged and abused before her death.
He said: "We also believe that maybe the aneurysm was a proximate cause but it is also very possible it was triggered by the assault prior to her death."
Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights said it would also carry out its own probe into the case.
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