Spanish prosecutors push for murder charge against Singaporean man in death of Audrey Fang
Fatimah Mujibah
The Straits Times
February 21, 2025
Spanish prosecutors are calling for the accused in the death of Audrey Fang Dirou to be charged with murder, reported local media La Verdad on Feb 20.
Singaporean Mitchell Ong was arrested in Spain in April 2024 after Ms Fang's body was found earlier in the month with multiple stab wounds. The 39-year-old Singaporean was reportedly stabbed more than 30 times, according to several Spanish media outlets.
Public prosecutors and lawyers from the Spanish public prosecutor's office appeared in court on Feb 20 and called for the murder charge to be handed to Ong, citing enough evidence.
A murder charge in Spain carries a jail sentence of between 15 and 25 years, according to La Verdad.
The defence has however urged for a dismissal and called for new proceedings, such as seeking an expert's input of Ong's mobile phone or getting a statement from Ong - who has remained silent since he was arrested.
A lawyer who is representing Ms Fang's family as a private prosecutor maintains that the facts constitute a crime of murder - which Ong allegedly committed "in a treacherous and cruel manner", La Verdad reported.
Ong, 43, has been in custody since April 16, 2024, after Ms Fang was found dead near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla on April 10.
Ms Fang, an architect, had left Singapore on April 4 to travel alone to Xania, Spain. She was supposed to return eight days later but became uncontactable on April 10.
She was last seen in Xabia, on the hotel's CCTV on April 9 at about 8.45pm (3.45am Singapore time), according to a friend.
Ms Fang had mentioned to her family members that she might be meeting a friend in Spain, but did not reveal who the person was.
Singaporean Mitchell Ong being escorted by Guardia Civil officers at the Examining Magistrate's Court in the town of Cieza, Murcia, on April 19, 2024. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Her body was found a day later in Abanilla, a municipality in the Murcia region, around 150km away - or about two hours' drive - from her hotel, Olive Press reported.
She died from knife wounds and head trauma.
Ms Fang, who was single, was known to have been romantically interested in Ong, whom she met through a dating app, her friends said during an earlier court testimony.
The pair had known each other since at least 2014 and the relationship was described as "on and off".
Ong, who was previously an insurance agent with AIA and a financial expert, was also found to be nominated as the sole beneficiary of Ms Fang's Central Provident Fund savings, with the accounts reportedly containing $498,000.
