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Welsh woman beaten, raped
04/01/2006 14:59 - (SA)
Bangkok - A 21-year-old Welsh woman who was found dead on the Thai resort island of Samui was raped and beaten to death before her body was dumped in the sea, police said Wednesday.
"We have not yet identified a suspect because we are still compiling evidence and speaking with witnesses. Currently both tourist police and local police are working hard on this case," Central Investigation head Major Montri Chamroon said.
He said police were still awaiting results from a post-mortem on the body of Katherine Elizabeth Horton, whose corpse was found floating in Lamai bay off Samui.
But an official police report said that once the suspect is identified, "the charges we will file are raping a woman who is not his legal wife and assault resulting in death of the victim".
Police suspect that someone tried to rape her but she resisted so he beat her to death before dumping her body into the sea.
Body found floating in sea
Horton, from the Welsh capital Cardiff, had gone out for dinner on New Year's Day with her travelling companion Ruth Adams, near the bungalow where they were staying on Lamai beach, police said.
She left Adams after dinner and walked alone down the beach as she spoke on her cellphone, near the New Hut Bungalow resort, where they were staying, police added.
Her body was found floating in the sea on Monday by a man who rents jet skis to tourists.
Horton had flown out to Thailand for a short break with Adams on December 27 after celebrating Christmas with her family, a family friend said.
The pair were due to fly home on January 10.
Her mother, Elizabeth Horton, said from her home in Cardiff: "I am obviously devastated. It is really too difficult to talk."
The family friend, who asked not to be named, said she believed Horton was a second-year psychology student at Reading University, west of London.
The friend added: "We have had no official information at all.... The family are trying to find out what exactly has happened but there is no news at the moment. Everyone is in complete shock."
- SAPA
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