Cops ID mystery woman

2005-09-25 18:02

Hong Kong - Police have identified a woman found nearly naked near Hong Kong's defunct Kai Tak airport as a Swiss national who appears to be suffering from amnesia, local media reported on Sunday.

The 41 year-old woman, who was discovered more than three weeks ago clothed only in plastic shopping bags and carrying no identification, suddenly began speaking to hospital staff in French last week, allowing consulate officials to trace her family, the South China Morning Post reported.

She has told authorities she may have been a teacher in southern China's Guangzhou, but has no idea why she was found sitting near the former runway by Hong Kong Marine Police on September 2.

Medical examinations have shown no evidence of sexual assault or other injuries, the Post said.

"She is talking but no very coherently. She has no injuries," Peter Barnes, senior superintendent of Kowloon East Regional Crime Unit, said.

"We're trying to piece it together. We don't know when she arrived in Hong Kong," Barnes said.

Authorities said they hope the woman can be reunited with her family next week.

"It will be up to her doctor to decide if she will be fit to travel and to determine if she can leave Hong Kong next week. I think she will leave Hong Kong and we will end up not knowing what really happened," Swiss consular attache Sacha Bachmann said.

- AFP