Singaporean woman killed in Spain: Judge blocks suspect's deportation to Singapore over death penalty concerns
SINGAPORE: A Spanish judge has denied a request to deport a Singaporean man suspected of killing his compatriot in the country to Singapore, due to concerns over the death penalty.
Mitchell Ong is suspected of killing Ms Audrey Fang while she was on holiday in Spain. Her body was found with more than 30 stab wounds in April 2024.
The ruling was made by the judge at the Court of First Instance and Instruction in Cieza, according to Spanish news site La Opinion de Murcia on Wednesday (May 28).
In the ruling, the judge said the request to deport the accused did not meet the conditions outlined under Article 57.7 of Spain's Organic Law, which governs the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration.
Defence lawyer Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda previously told CNA that she had opposed the deportation request.
The defence had argued that removing Ong from Spain would breach fundamental principles of the rule of law and international treaties to which Spain is a signatory.
Singapore retains the death penalty for several offences, including murder.
The request had been filed by the Comisaria General de Extranjeria y Fronteras, which is part of the Spanish National Police. It was supported by the victim's family through their private prosecution.
In Spain, victims can hire lawyers to act as private prosecutors and they can bring evidence, request statements or call for charges, among other things.
WHAT HAPPENED
Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when her body was found on Apr 10 last year near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla.
Spanish media outlets reported that a preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death.
Ong was arrested days later after camera footage showed Ms Fang being picked up from her hotel in a car thought to be driven by him.
He has yet to make a statement about the case. Both the Spanish public prosecutor's office and the private prosecution have asked that he be charged with murder.
Ong and Ms Fang had known each other for more than 10 years and he was made a beneficiary of her Central Provident Fund (CPF) – a mandatory social security savings scheme in Singapore – about six months before her death.
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