A missing Polish woman on the Greek island of Kos has been found dead.
Anastazja Rubinska, a 27-year-old from Wrocław, had been missing since June 12 when she was last seen speaking with a group of five Pakistani and Bangladeshi men, before jumping on the back of one of the men’s motorcycles.
A 32-year-old Bangladeshi national had already been arrested on Saturday on suspicion of her abduction, but the recovery of her body on Sunday escalated the matter to a murder investigation.
Anastazja’s body was found naked, partially covered with a black garbage bag in a woodland area near the village of Tigaki, around a kilometer away from where the prime suspect in the investigation lives.
Initial reports suggest she died from asphyxiation; however, the findings of the autopsy report are yet to be published.
The victim’s mobile phone was also recovered just 500 meters from the suspect’s house with the SIM card removed.
According to Greek media, Anastazja’s DNA was found in the suspect’s home, and authorities identified several scratches on his person consistent with a struggle, which he claimed to have sustained during a recent traffic accident.
The Bangladeshi migrant does not deny knowing the victim and claims to have had sexual intercourse with her when she was drunk before driving her to a shop and parting ways.
The suspect was seen on Wednesday, a day after Anastazja was reported missing, on CCTV footage at a mini market. He purchased a plane ticket to Italy and also withdrew a substantial amount of cash.
The victim had only recently arrived on the island of Kos with her Polish fiancé to work in a hotel during the summer season. She had contacted her partner late on Monday evening after attending a party with friends to tell him she was drunk and needed to be picked up; she then sent her location to his mobile phone.
However, when her partner arrived at the location, Anastazja was not there and her mobile phone had been switched off. He subsequently reported her missing on Tuesday morning.
A significant search was undertaken by authorities, assisted by volunteers. The mother of the victim also flew to the island from Poland with a private detective to assist with the search.
The 32-year-old suspect appeared in court on Monday for a preliminary hearing.
