Bolivian woman dies after jumping from van to escape attacker in Chile
Oshin Santos Santos, 30 years old and mother of two children, died in Melipilla after falling from a moving vehicle whilst fleeing sexual assault.
Bolivian woman dies in Chile whilst escaping sexual attacker from van
Oshin Santos Santos, a 30-year-old Bolivian woman and mother of two children, died last Saturday in the municipality of Melipilla, in Chile's metropolitan region, after falling from a moving van whilst attempting to escape sexual assault. This was reported by El Deber, which identified the victim as originally from Los Yungas in La Paz.
According to information gathered by the outlet, Santos Santos had arrived in Chile seeking agricultural work to support her children and family members. A Chilean man offered to help her find employment with agricultural workers and got her to board his van under the pretext of taking her to the workplace. During the journey, the driver began sexually assaulting her.
In a moment of desperation, the woman opened the vehicle door whilst it was moving and jumped to escape the abuse. Her body struck stones on the roadway, causing injuries that proved fatal. The driver fled the scene without providing any assistance.
Friends and acquaintances of the victim recounted that Santos Santos had been approached by people offering her work and that she, trusting in that opportunity, agreed to accompany them without foreseeing the outcome. The woman's remains were laid out in a communal hall in Melipilla whilst members of the Bolivian community in that locality organised a charitable collection to transport the body to Bolivia and ensure her a dignified burial.
Chile's Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office launched investigations immediately. On Monday they managed to apprehend the van driver, who will have to appear before justice to answer for the facts.
Chile's Public Ministry confirmed that Santos Santos lived with her family and two minor children in Los Yungas, a province of La Paz, and that she had travelled to the neighbouring country in search of income to support her children.
Source: El Deber