Authorities yesterday questioned three men as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged fatal drug overdose of a young woman following an alleged days-long sex and drugs party at a luxury hotel in Taipei.
Investigators continued questioning the men, surnamed Chiang (江), Hung (洪) and Chu (朱), regarding the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a 21-year-old woman surnamed Kuo (郭), who reportedly worked in the modeling industry.
Evidence gathered so far indicated that Kuo likely died from a drug overdose, as blood tests revealed that she had consumed illegal drugs prior to her death, police officials said, but added that she was also likely a victim of violence and sexual assault.
While police did not reveal for which drugs Kuo’s blood tested positive, they did not rule out sexual assault and physical trauma as contributing factors to her death.
Local media reported that Kuo died following her participation in an alcohol-and-drug-fueled sex party that lasted several days in a hotel room rented by Chu, a wealthy socialite.
Kuo died in a hospital on Thursday night, after she was reportedly carried out unconscious by Chiang and Hung when they checked out of the five-star W Hotel in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義).
Witnesses said Kuo was wearing only her underwear and wrapped in a bath robe when the two men carried her out of the hotel and hailed a taxi to go to Cathay General Hospital on Thursday morning.
Due to the seriousness of her condition — unconscious and her vital signs rapidly deteriorating — Kuo was transferred to Taipei Veterans General Hospital, where emergency medical treatment failed to revive her and she was pronounced dead.
Police identified the three men from the hotel’s security footage and summoned them for questioning with public prosecutors.
Chu said he rented a VIP room for a party on the 25th floor of the hotel for five days and later extended the stay by two days.
Chu confirmed that people had sex at the party, saying Chiang and Hung had taken along several male friends, with four or five female escorts entertaining the men, officials said.
Security footage showed that Kuo entered the hotel on Sunday and stayed until she was carried out on Thursday, leaving the room three times during that period, officials said, adding that more young women arrived at the party over the course of several days.
Kuo sustained injuries to her knees and lower legs, police said, adding that when she arrived at the hospital her genitals were swollen, indicating that she might have been violently abused and sexually assaulted, and possibly forced to consume drugs.
Due to various reports regarding the case, Prosecutor Hsu Hsiang-chen (許祥珍) held a news briefing yesterday, asking those involved in the case not to disclose information to the public, as the investigation is ongoing.
“We have gathered physical evidence and interviewed individuals connected to the case. An autopsy of the victim will determine the cause of death,” Hsu said. “We are examining the evidence and tracking down more people who are to be summoned for questioning.”
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