By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
A Filipina woman committed suicide last week, after allegedly suffering abuse and forced prostitution by her Korean husband in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
Cathy Bonesa Mae Deocades, a 25-year-old woman from General Santos City, southern Philippines, was found to have hung herself at her home in Gongju on Jan. 11.
Before her death, Deocades was quoted by some of her friends in Korea and her family in the Philippines that her husband, identified only as Park, repeatedly abused her and tried to sell her to other men for sex.
Deocades, who left behind a five-month-old baby girl, had allegedly suffered from postnatal depression and was admitted to the psychiatric ward section of a hospital last October.
“Cathy called her parents to say that she was very sad and wanted to leave. She asked them to send her money so she could go home,” a Filipino community leader in Gongju said. However, her family could not send the money for a plane ticket.
Deocades married Park in the Philippines in 2009 through a marriage broker. After moving to Korea, Deocades claimed she was being maltreated by her husband, who was a farmer, and her parents-in-law.
Deocades’ parents became increasingly concerned, and asked the Philippine Embassy personnel to visit her in Gongju. But when asked by the embassy personnel last October, she claimed to be fine and there was nothing to worry about.
Deocades’ friends became worried after they were unable to contact or see her from December, and any phone calls were interrupted or stopped.
While the Gongju City police ruled Deocades’ death was suicide due to depression, her family in the Philippines believes there might be some foul play involved.
Deocades’ body arrived in General Santos City, Wednesday, and an autopsy was conducted, with the results to be released in a few days.
Her husband reportedly gave 1.5 million won to Deocades’ family.
There have been an increasing number of arranged marriages between Korean men and foreign women, mostly from Southeast Asia, in Korea. Many problems have arisen due to language and cultural barriers, as well as the age gap between the Korean men and foreign women.
Last year, a 20-year-old Vietnamese woman was killed by her mentally-unstable Korean husband eight days after arriving in Korea.
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